Shout Out To Bob Barker!!!

Meet Bob aka Bob Barker! I have never met this handsome Vizsla boy but I have heard many stories about his antics. :) He lives in Cleveland, OH with his humans and it is rumored that he can escape from a 2 story hotel room! Bob, you must pass on your secrets! ;)

How do I know Bob, you ask? Well, his humans are friends with Colleen. (my pal Sierra's Mom) So we get to hear about Bob from time to time and we have heard that he occasionally does a little blog reading to see what we are up to out here in the west. Bob, we think you should start a blog too so we can learn your secrets and see more beautiful photos of you! :) We just love this photo of you on the bed....you look like a seasoned poser! We realize your humans must have taken this photo but Colleen passed it onto us to use for this post. :) It's just darling! Well, hope you are having a great week and seriously, you should consider this blog thing. ;)

Froggy Fun & A Hike

I spent alot of time with Mom in her classroom this weekend so I got to meet the tadpoles!! Her class just got tadpoles because they have been studying frogs. They will keep them until they are a bit bigger and then release them. :) I was very curious about them but after I had been there for awhile I decided to use their habitat as a drinking bowl. :) BOL! Mom laughed but then she told me to "leave it" and got me a bowl of fresh water. I don't think they liked it much either as they were swishing their wiggly tails and swimming away from my monster tongue. ;)


The best part of the weekend was the hike I got to go on with Mom. It was grrreat to have a little one-on-one time. It was a 4 mile round trip hike....2 miles up and 2 miles back down.

There were alot of people on the trail today that I got to say hello to and I even got to play with 2 other dogs. Then, I met these two little girls who screamed when they saw me and were terrified even though Mom reassured them what a nice dog I am. They asked if I was a Great Dane and when Mom told them what I was they said something about a Norwegian Ridgeback....they said it was a dragon. It was a little strange but oh well. Kids will be kids...maybe they have been watching that Harry Potter movie?? One of them let me say hello but the other one approached cautiously and then when she got close she zoomed past me yelling, "don't let her go" to my Mom. Silly kids...I wouldn't hurt a flea...well, maybe a flea but that's it. ;)

The view is very pretty up there....the top picture is of the Stuart Range and in the bottom one you can see my town.

As you can see from the middle picture I did get a little tired but it was worth it.

Hopeful For Another Nice Weekend

Last weekend, it was SO warm and sunny here! It was great but the past couple of days it has been windy and cooler so I am hoping that the wind stops and it gets warm. Mainly, so Mom and Dad can grill some of those turkey burgers again. YUM! I got my very own mini turkey burger but next time I am requesting the jumbo size. A mini burger is just not enough for a girl of my size!


Also, I got to go practice for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test last weekend with my furiends and their humans from my dog club! It was so much fun. We practiced and then Mom held a spontaneous photoshoot with all of my furiends that were there. She can be so embarrassing sometimes always snapping photos. SHEESH! Oh well, they didn't seem to mind but I would occasionally get up and walk over to put my nose in front of the camera to give Mom a kiss. For some reason, I don't think she wanted me to do that. ;) I just wanted her to know how much I loved her....it had NOTHING to do with the fact that I was ready for picture time to be over so I could go home and get some lunch. ;) If you want to check out more pictures from my training then click here to visit my club's blog! :)

Wordless Wednesday & Happy Earth Day!

Adventures In Babysitting

Meet Savannah and Cash! I had to babysit them the other day...that's right, a dog CAN be a babysitter. :) You see, their grandmother (my pal Ozzie's Mom) is a good friend of my Mom's and we all went for a walk together. Well, the adults (who were supposed to be supervising) just stood around and snapped photos...SHEESH! So, I stepped up to the plate and kept the little ones in line. ;) Don't let their cute, sweet, innocent faces fool you...behind those mesmerizing smiles are bundles of mischief waiting to be unleashed. ;)

First, I had to make sure the girl stayed on the right side of the tracks.

"Hey you, get back over there where it is safe!"

Then, I had to watch my step and make sure no one else walked over this little dude who was really enjoying rolling in the grass. I know what you are thinking...I thought only dogs enjoyed this activity too but apparently I was wrong.

Next up, a little quality control.

"Cheerios you say, oh dear, I don't know if those are safe. I better taste one first to make sure. "

"Oh, you dropped one. We can't have that now can we....let me find it for you."

And just when I thought my work was done, little dude wanted a piece of my tail!!! I really don't know what the fascination was but this game of chase the tail kept him busy for hours! Ok, not really hours but long enough.

I never realized how exhausting babysitting could be!

And where was my pal Ozzie during ALL of this?? Relaxing in a nice mud bath after he spent some time sniffing out the field for mice!! A little help would have been nice Ozzie! Is that too much to ask??

Now, I need a mud bath after all of that hard work!

Special Treats, Awards, & Notecards!

Mom and Dad left me for the day yesterday to go to Seattle. They went to the Seattle Art Museum, Pike Place Market, and had lunch at Matt's in the Market which overlooks Pike Place Market and Puget Sound. Don't worry...my furiends, Hank & Libby and their Mom, came to check on me and feed me while Mom and Dad were gone. While the pawrents were walking around in downtown Seattle, Dad and Uncle Joel noticed the Three Dog Bakery. Go check out their site...it's very nice and they even do these events called Dine With Your Dog and the proceeds go to help rescue dogs. :) Mom didn't notice because she was too busy chatting with Etsuko but luckily Dad called her attention to it and asked if she wanted to go in. OF COURSE, she did and she came out with two YUMMY treats for me!! I got a peanut butter bone and biscotti!

So Mom and Dad think it is great fun to torture me like this...they put things near me or even ON MY PAWS (the nerve) and then tell me to "leave it". Well, Mom thinks it is so funny that I look away from the treats but hey, a girl has to do what a girl has to do. If I look at the tasty treat too long then I may be tempted to forget about what she has just told me and gobble it up. So, in order to get the job done, I MUST look away and wait until I hear the words "take it" before I can eat my yummy treats.



Awards

Next up are my lovely awards! I just received the "Paw"some Blog Award from my furiends Gus & Waldo!
Thanks guys...I feel VERY special to have received this award from you. And I think you are pretty PAWsome too! I LOVE your award design too. :)

This award is presented to those dog bloggers out there who know the meaning of GREATNESS. Their blogs are consistently interesting, funny, or informative. Their KINDNESS is extended to others without expectation of it's return, and their FRIENDSHIP inspires others to do EXTRAORDINARY things. These are the blogs you can't wait to read everyday. In short, they are AWE-INSPIRING, full of wonder, and simply PAWsome!Pass this award on to 4 others who you feel exemplify a "Paw"some Blog, and leave a note saying why you think they deserve the Pawsome Award!

So, the 4 we choose are:

The Pointers from Pointer Pandemonium - These 3 Pointers are SO funny and we love reading their hilarious commentary. Plus, they are the most loving brothers and sisters and they know how to give the best cuddles and hugs. They also have to be the most flexible doggies ever which is evidenced by some of their interesting sleeping positions. :)

Sheba - She is a Ridgeback girl like me but boy does she have some very neat adventures and COOL friends! She lives in Niger and she gets to chase lizards, take hikes in the bush, and her playmates are horses!!! I am excited everyday to read of her new adventures and see the beautiful photos. :)

Honey - Many of you already know this Dancing Diva...she is just PAWsome in every sense of the word. She not only dances but she also models!! The photoshoot offers keep coming and if you go visit her blog you will see why. She is one gorgeous Dane girl.

JD & Max - They are some new furiends of mine and they are two very cute Schnauzer brothers! They are witty and silly all at the same time. JD stands for Just Dog and he uses his name to get sympathy from humans that don't know better...BRILLIANT! Max likes to take naps right on top his human's feet....he just plops down on top of those feet and starts snoring!! BOL!!!

This last award is from my Dane furiends, Sasha & Max! Thanks you two...you are fabulous too and Mom and I LOVE reading your blog. Sasha, although we know Max can be difficult we know you secretly LOVE him but we also are very entertained hearing of your hardships in dealing with him. ;)


Notecards

Well, my furiends, I know there is a cat on this notecard but it is cute don't you think...even for a cat. ;) Mom says she likes cats but I'm not so sure I agree. Anyway, Mom won these wonderful notecards from the amazing Rachel Sloan! She is a pet photographer and if you haven't had a chance to visit her blog/website then click HERE. You can also find a link to her on our sidebar...Mom visits often for photo inspiration and to see her lovely pictures.

A PAWsitively Great Read!

Mom read this book a while back and has been wanting me to tell you about it. At first, a book about a dog, his human, and race cars didn't exactly spark her interest. I mean, the dog part did of course, but not the race car part. However, she decided to give it a try anyway and it turns out she really loved it! It's written from the perspective of the dog so obviously that makes for a very entertaining read! :) Quite frankly, I think more books should be written this way. Plus, it takes place in Seattle which is close to where we live and it's funny and sad at the same time. So, if you need a good book to read then Mom and I recommend The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Click on the link to check out the website and see The Art of Racing in the Rain video and more. :)

Hunting Eggs

"Rookie move Mom....don't think I will forget where you put that egg. It will be the first one I get!"

"Come on, open the door already!"

"Finally!"

"Hmmmm, there must be an egg nearby. My sniffer never lies."

"I know there are more. I will not give up!"

PAWty Time

I got to have my birthday pawty this weekend! It was great. My Uncle Joel came over and brought me a present. It was from him and Etsuko...they got it on their trip to Japan a couple of weeks ago.


That's right.....it was SUSHI!!! YUM! Thanks Uncle Joel & Aunt Etsuko! :) Unfortunately, I have already eaten part of it and it is now in the repair shop waiting for my seamstress to report to work on Monday! ;) BOL! I thought it was the real thing...oops!

Below is a slideshow of pictures from my pawty. It was the best pawty I have ever had! All of my furiends from around here came, (except for Sierra & my bro, Bodhi...missed you Sierra & Bodhi) we did bobbin' for biscuits, played a pawty game, and then we just ran and played with each other. I got a bag of homemade treats from Hank and his family and two bully sticks from Samson and his family, plus a BIG biscuit all to myself from Brix, Anna, and Ken! Thanks everyone! You are the best furiends a girl could have. :)

So Much To Say, So Little Time

Today I got to go hunt Easter biscuits with lots of other dogs at a park! It was soooo pawesome! There were alot of dogs there....big ones, little ones, fat ones, skinny ones and they were all very nice! :) You will notice above that I am in the biscuit hunting zone. ;) Mom was a bit worried that I would be too excited with all the other dogs and pull her arm off but I did quite well if I do say so myself!

Check it out....can you see the biscuit? YUM! Mom only let me have a couple though and then she started grabbing them before I could sink my teeth in and stuffing them in her pocket....how rude! I think next year we need an Easter basket instead to put my loot in.

Next up, I got a present from Gus & Waldo and their Mom Allison!!! I was super excited and I tried to get my stuff out but instead I only got the package stuck on my muzzle...BOL....so Mom had to help me!

First, I got this COOL card that played a really grrreat song! I grabbed the card in my mouth and ran out the door to listen to it by myself but Mom made me drop it and give it back....gees, they did send it to ME Mom!!

Then, Mom showed me what else was in the package....TREATS!!! YUM!

And finally the moment I was waiting for arrived and I got to taste the delicous and aromatic bones! Thank you Waldo, Gus, & Allison...they were so tasty! You are such nice furiends to send me a birthday pressie! Love you lots!!!

Can you see the drool...boy, were those bones good!

Also, my Paw It Forward packages to Rouxby & Kinley, Sheba, and Jana & the Papillons (and their humans;)and my package to Kay who won the Which Breed Am I? contest have been signed, sealed, and inspected thoroughly! They will be sent out ASAP! Sorry for the long wait. :) I am soooo excited for you to get them so I hope the mail people deliver them fast!


Please stop by to visit their blogs as they are ALL wonderful and Mom and I really enjoy visiting them. Rouxby and Kinley are two Ridgeback girls just like me who live with their PAWESOME dog photographer Mom! She takes the most beautiful photos and especially of her sweet RR girls. :) Sheba is another Ridgeback girl like me who lives in Niger with her human Mom Esther. Esther is part of this really neat organization called the Eden Foundation (her family started it) and they help the people of Niger raise sustainable and drought resistant crops. They do alot more too I think but I am not the dog to explain it....please visit their blog for the real scoop. And Jana is a Vizsla who lives with quite the group of Papillons....they live in Scotland and they always have great adventures and pictures to go along! If you visit them you will likely see some great shots of Jana levitating, flying, or hopping like Tigger with her ears flopping all over the place! Now she is a girl after my own heart! :) Plus, her Papillon brothers and sisters are super cute.

Well, time's up! Hope everyone has a great day. Mom tells me that we are off to my birthday PAWty with my furiends today! I can't wait!

I LOVE Birthdays!

I wish my birthday was everyday!!! I got soooo many good things to eat! :) First, Mom made me some special pupcakes for breakfast. YUM!

Dad got me a new pheasant toy to squeak and play with! I also took a nap with my pheasant which was quite pleasant.

For dinner, I had this pawtastic casserole with ground turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes with cream cheese, and some green bean puree on top. Needless to say, I licked the bowl clean!

This treat is courtesy of my pals Steve & Kat who live pretty close to me. Their Mom makes them special recipes alot and my Mom thought this idea for frozen banana bones sounded like something I would enjoy. (For their recipes, be sure to look at the sidebar on their blog and they have a drop down menu with all of them.) The recipe called for mashed bananas and plain yogurt and then Mom added a bit of peanut butter for me too! Then, she froze it and I got it today. She figured I had enough treats yesterday and that my stomach couldn't handle anything more but she just doesn't know the powers of my stomach. ;) OMD....all I can say is pure bliss! It took me a while to eat it and the pawrents made me take an eating break after I had finished half for about 30 minutes and then let me finish the last half. All I can say is THANK YOU Steve & Kat's Mom for this most delicious treat! I think my Mom will be making more of these soon. *hint, hint Mom*

If you enlarge the picture you can see that I was enjoying it so much I even got a little up my nose! BOL!

I'm 3 Today!!!

Today is my birthday! I am 3 today!!! WOOOO, how time flies. I will tell you about my special day later...right now, I am off for a nice walk with my Mom! :)

A TAIL of Two Hikes

BOL....Mom wanted to put TALE but I convinced her TAIL was more appropriate. ;) Anyway, we went for two great hikes...one on Sunday and one on Monday!! We didn't want to waste any of the precious sunshine and NO wind weather!

On Sunday, we went to the Columbia River for some hiking. It is a pretty desolate place but very neat. Mom says she prefers to go to these kinds of places with me in the spring as the hotter months bring out the rattlesnakes...scary!

We looked for birds,

I sniffed some rocks, and

we enjoyed the beautiful flowers and petroglyphs. The first flowers are Balsam Root and I think the second are Phlox but I have no idea what the third one's are. No matter, they were pretty. :)

Yesterday, we went for another hike. This was one of those date things Mom and Dad have been doing for each other. The last one was one Dad did and he took Mom out to a local Tav for her favorite gardenburger and fries, they played pool and darts, and then came home and made delicious ice cream sundaes! I didn't remind Mom to take the camera as I was a bit peeved that I wasn't included!! ;) This time though, I WAS!!

Mom made a picnic dinner and took us for a hike. She brought a loaf of bread, salami, two different cheeses, yummy grape tomatoes, carrots, and even strawberries for dessert! I also had my very own special bag of meaty treats plus I got to eat some of the cheese!! To wash it all down they had a glass of vino. That's right....Mom hiked a bottle of vino all the way up the hill....now that is dedication. :) Notice the bottom right picture....Dad is busy opening the vino while I am sniffing out the strawberries! Muhahahaha!

Mom told me not to tell you this part but I am going to anyway, DON"T tell her! So, on our way down the hill, Dad was in front, I was in the middle, and Mom was at the end. I kept stopping every two feet to make sure Mom was ok and she kept telling me to go. Finally, I took off and guess what happened??? She fell! I knew I should have stayed with her but at least she caught herself with her hand and got right back up. Silly Mom!

And guess what Mango....at the end, I met two huge English Mastiff's!!! I was a bit intimidated but only because going across the bridge with holes spooked me and that's where I first encountered them. :)

I hope we get to go hiking again soon and I hope you all get some warm weather too!