THE LIFE OF RESCUED POUND PUPPIES IN THEIR OWN WORDS

2012-01-19T19:52:00.003-08:00

M.O.M. said to tell you that she is sorry that she has been gone so long. She has many things to do and feels like she is using up all her spare time each day. She has promised us she will at least try to post a photo once in awhile so all of you will know we are all okay. Thanks of understanding.

Oh, we almost forgot to tell you...we have SNOW!!! Lot's of snow! At the moment there is about 11 inches in our yard. We have had freezing rain all day and are hoping for warmer weather in the coming days. We enjoy playing in the snow but it is sooo cold outside! We don't even get to go to the beach! M.OM. said all our roads are covered with thick ice and the State Patrol has asked that everyone stay home this week. So we are!
Hugs and wags, Mistaya and Maggie

Christmas Day At Our House By The Sea

2012-01-06T09:35:00.001-08:00

I took this picture of the pups in the back yard on Christmas Day. I am still not used to seeing green grass all year long nor nothing white lying on top of the grass.
I know Mistaya prefers the white stuff to play in and Maggie has experienced snow fall only once in her little life. I wonder if she remembers playing in it last winter?
I also took the following photos on Christmas day. I have never had plants flowering in any of my flower beds anytime during the winter! It amazes me to see them still growing.

This rose is just about ready to burst into bloom any minute.

This Daisy has traveled with me from Washington, to Montana and now back to Washington and it never fails to produce beautiful flowers for me. They come in so many different color patterns. Some are pure yellow. some have brown streaks thru the peadals, some are covered in a beautiful brown hiding almost any of the yellow.

As I always say..."In the garden..where there's color there is hope."

Spring will be here soon!

Keep your family close and filled with love

2012-01-02T19:00:00.001-08:00

OUR WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT EXCHANGE!!

2011-12-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Gift Exchange presents arrived in the mail from Maggie and Mitch several days before Christmas but M.O.M. made us wait all the way till Christmas Eve!!!!

The first thing we smelled...and ate..were some very delicious

Doggie Cookies...they were soooo yummy!

Then Maggie and I both tore into our presents and found two awesome soft toys.

Maggie grabbed the one with the stripped legs and arms first so I grabbed the cute gold one.

Wow, it made a great noise every time I bit into it!

Then I decided that since I am the older one that I should get my choice first.

So I went over and tried to take it away from Maggie and about that time she decided that the stripped one should be hers!!

So I decided that I wasn't going to settle for this behavior and was going to claim it as my own.

Maggie did not see it that way!!!

So we spent a few minutes arguing over this wonderful toy when I realized that if I didn't let Maggie play with it for awhile that it just might get torn into pieces.

So I released my tight grip on the toy and let her play with it for awhile before I took it and hide it in my secret hiding place.

I decided that a well earned nap was in order for me and that just might give Maggie a chance to get tired of the toys and the stripped one would be my own.

Well, as you can see Maggie had different ideas about these two great toys.

She piled the two toys on top of each other......I am sure she did that because she just couldn't decide which one she wanted to play with first!

She then proceeded to chew on each toy for a few minutes, throw it up in the air, put it back on "her" pile and do the same thing with the other one.

This could be a problem.

That's okay, when she isn't looking I will steal my choice away from her and hide it good!!

Thank you Maggie and Mitch for the great presents...again! We were lucky in the Christmas Gift Exchange last Christmas too!! Mitch and Maggie had our names last year too!!

Yes, we are two very lucky...and happy...pups!!

Happy New Year everyone!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!

2011-12-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

EVERYONE!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Please click on the link below...I couldn't get it to work right!
http://youtu.be/O8Qkp2VUvR4

SINGLE GIRLS AD

2011-12-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

Single Black Female

This has to be one of the best singles ads ever printed! It is reported to have been listed in the Atlanta Journal.

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me . . . Call (XXX) XXX-XXXX and ask for Annie, I'll be waiting . . .

I NEED SOME DOG FOOD!

2011-12-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

I was at WalMart buying a bag of Purina dog chow for my daughter's dog , in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog. Why else would I be buying dog chow, RIGHT ???

So on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again, and that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in intensive care, with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and all you do is load your pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care, because the dog food poisoned me.

I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff a Pug's butt and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard.

GOTCHA DIDN'T I!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHA!!

US PUPS HAVE BEEN BUSY BUT WE'LL BE BACK!

2011-11-27T21:17:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OUR BLOG FRIENDS

2011-11-23T08:47:00.001-08:00

2011-11-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

A man and his dog were walking along a road.

The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.

He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road.

It looked like fine marble...

At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.

He and the dog walked toward the gate and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'
'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.

'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.'

The man gestured, and the gate began to open. 'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?'the traveller asked.

'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed.

There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book....

'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'

'How about my friend here?' the traveller gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump,' said the man.

They went through the gate and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it..

The traveller filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

'What do you call this place?' the traveller asked..

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveller said 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

A VERY BRAVE KITTY

2011-11-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

Self Confidence can take you a long way!!

Of course you could say that this photo shows how well a dog can be trained!

A SPECIAL DAY FOR ALL OUR VETERANS

2011-11-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN MISTAYA

2011-11-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

We just want to let everyone know that we have not forgotten about our Mistaya's 3 year of blogging Anniversary. Between Maggies birthday, Veterans Day, and lot's of work to do at home we just ran out of time this week.

Her celebration post is coming soon!!

IT'S OUR MAGGIE'S 1ST BIRTHDAY!

2011-11-08T05:45:00.000-08:00

Today our little Maggie is ONE YEAR OLD!

She was such a tiny little creature when we first saw her at our local P.A.W.S. shelter in January of this year.
She looked out of her kennel at us with a sweet look of "Can I come to live with you?" And of course we pulled her out of the kennel and cuddled her in our arms and have never let her go.

It has been fun watching her grow into her feet and long legs. She turned out to be a perfect match for her dogsister Mistaya as Maggie is already taller than Mistaya and can certainly out run her anywhere.

She has grown into a beautiful young lady that has learned most of her lessons in life from Mistaya. She has been a dream dog to train and a ball of joy to play with.

We love you little Maggie and are so thankful for you coming into our lives.

SCAM ALERT...SCAM ALERT!!!!!

2011-11-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

Watch out for this scam! VERIFIED THROUGH SNOPES AND FACT OR FICTION........

Police say that the gang usually is comprised of four members, one adult and three younger ones. While the three younger ones, all are appearing sweet and innocent, divert their 'mark' (or intended target) with a show of friendliness, the fourth--and the eldest-- sneaks in from behind the person's back to expertly rifle through his or her pocket or purse for any valuables.

This is being called the AFLAC Scam.

2011-10-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Mistaya was thrilled that Maggie had to wear her costume for Halloween this year. Poor Maggie, she has no idea what will be coming to our door tonight. I have a feeling she and Mistaya will be spending most of the evening sleeping on our bed. Maggie has never been around little people and if you are a long time follower of Mistaya's blog you will remember her frightening experience with children last November.

So we are not going to go through such a bad experience again.

I have to say that I really didn't notice Maggie's own ears until I had uploaded this photo. No wonder she looks embarrassed! It did make me laugh.

As soon as I removed her "Bunny" ears she climbed up on the couch and took a nice long nap near Catsister.

And of course Mistaya climbed up on 'her' window seat with a look of "Boy, I am sure glad that ear thing is over with!" And she too promptly took a nap.

Mistaya has an Anniversary in another week!! It is her 3 year Anniversary of her blog!! We are very excited for her and all her wonderful followers that have been with us all these years.

And on the very same day...November 8th..it is Maggie's special day too!! It is her birthday and she will be 1 year old!!!

Yes, it is quite a coincident that they are both on the same day. Some things are just meant to be.

Happy Halloween Everyone.....hope all you doggies and kitties get some treats too!!

We sure hope we do!

(I think I smelled some stew bones baking in the over earlier.)

Oh Boy!! Trick or Treat!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STORY EVER WRITTEN

2011-10-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

On the morning of September 11, 2001, there was an unprecedented amount of activity at the Rainbow Bridge. Decisions had to be made. They had to be made quickly. And, they were.

An issue, not often addressed here, is the fact that many residents really have no loved one for whom to wait. Think of the pups who lived and died in hideous puppy mills. No one on earth loved or protected them. What about the many who spent unhappy lives tied in backyards? And, the ones who were abused. Who are they to wait for?

We don't talk about that much up here. We share our loved ones as they arrive, happy to do so. But we all know there is nothing like having your very own person who thinks you are the most special pup in the Heavens.

Last Tuesday morning a request rang out for pups not waiting for specific persons to volunteer for special assignment... An eager, curious crowd surged excitedly forward, each pup wondering what the assignment would be.

They were told by a solemn voice that unexpectedly, all at once, thousands of loving people had left Earth long before they were ready.

All the pups, as all pups do, felt the humans' pain deep in their own hearts. Without hearing more, there was a clamoring among them - "May I have one to comfort?" "I'll take two, I have a big heart." "I have been saving kisses forever."

One after another they came forward begging for assignment. One cozy-looking fluffy pup hesitantly asked, "Are there any children coming?

I would be very comforting for a child 'cause I'm soft and squishy and I always wanted to be hugged." A group of Dalmatians came forward asking to meet the Firefighters and be their friends. The larger working breeds offered to greet the Police Officers and make them feel at home.

Little dogs volunteered to do what they do best, cuddle and kiss. Dogs who on Earth had never had a kind word or a pat on the head, stepped forward and said, "I will love any human who needs love."

Then all the dogs, wherever on Earth they originally came from, rushed to the Rainbow Bridge and stood waiting, overflowing with love to share - each tail wagging an American Flag.

Alexander Theodore, Bouvier, Fourth Year Resident

2011-10-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

2011-10-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

WHY MAGGIE DOESN'T CHASE A BALL

2011-10-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

I took this video to show you why Maggie doesn't chase a ball and any time she hears a loud noise she acts like the sky is falling.

Poor little pup just doesn't understand the concept of gravity.

But we love her any way!

THIS MADE M.O.M. LAUGH!

2011-10-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

''ROAD TRIP!!

2011-10-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

We were invited to go for a drive this afternoon! We love to go with our people because they usually stop somewhere and let us out to run.

We did pull over and stop. But it was on a busy highway so we couldn't get out.

They climbed over this fence thing and walked around the corner thru the weedy area.

Poor little Maggie got all upset and started trying to find a way to get out of the car and follow them.

This is where they went...just around the corner so they could get a picture of the view above the valley.

The river wanders all around the valley. There doesn't seem to be a straight place anywhere in the rivers journey.

This is the scene they saw when they walked back up to the car. By now Maggie was quite sure they were never coming back and had become quite upset with the whole thing.

All the way back down the hill to the nearest town Maggie stayed as close to M.O.M. as she possibly could. They were afraid she was going to hyperventilate or something! It did take several miles for Maggie to settle down and relax a bit.

I did hear M.O.M. and M.O.D. saying they wouldn't be out of Maggies sight next time until she understand that they will always come back. I need to explain love and caring to her one of these days.

WE'RE GOING TO THE PARK!

2011-10-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

M.O.M. has been waking us up early every morning and loading us in the car. We were very happy to see that she took the super duper street to the park!

She takes us there early because usually there is no one else there at that time. The park runs between two elementary schools so we go before the kids start showing up for school.

"Hey! Let's run cause there is no one else on the path!"

She let's us off our leashes when we are here alone. And boy do we run!!!...everywhere...on the grass, among the trees, up the little hills, behind all the buildings, on the baseball fields...gosh, every where!

This is a picture of the park looking East.

This is a picture of the park looking West.

See..still no one else in sight!

Sometimes M.O.M. let's us play "King On The Mountain" on a very large mountain of dirt that sits beside the park maintenance building.

We LOVE that!! Of course I usually win (Cause I can push Maggie out of the way real easy!!)

I know we haven't been posting much lately cause we all have been real busy. But I just wanted to post a few pictures of me and Maggie so all of you would know we are really okay! We will be back again real soon. Hugs and wags to everyone, Mistaya and Maggie

2011-09-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

TIME FOR A SMILE

2011-08-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

Now, this is for my dog friends and my friends who need to smile!

An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of. He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head; he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out..

The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour. This continued off and on for several weeks.

Curious I pinned a note to his collar: 'I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'

The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 He's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'

This is one of the best emails I have gotten in a while!

LET'S HAVE A POPSICLE!!!

2011-08-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

I introduced Maggie and Mistaya to a Popsicle today.

And it was a funny site indeed!

They were interested in the Popsicle but weren't sure what the stick thing was for.

Mistaya figured out right away that she could bite off pieces of the ice cold thing and eat them fairly quickly without getting any of the stick thing in her teeth.

But Maggie was a different story.

I tried putting it in her mouth at the back of her mouth so her back teeth could break it off.

She looked at me like I was a crazy person and why was I shoving this ice thing in her mouth?

So I acted like the good M.O.M. and patiently held it for her while she licked at it. I put up with this for a few minutes then decided that this would work better for both of us if I broke the Popsicle off the stick and let little Maggie eat it off the ground.

Of course she gave me that puppy look that seem to say..."Why didn't you do that before?"

2011-08-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

I spent the afternoon out in the back yard and I decided that I would enjoy mowing the lawn. I had to spend some time picking up all the miscellaneous chewed bones that were laying about the yard. I put them in a empty plant pot and set them up out of the way while I mowed.

After I finished the task of mowing the lawn I retrieved the pot that was holding all the bones. I approached Maggie with the bones, set the pot down in front of her and said.."Maggie, chose the one you want and I will throw out the rest."

Well, as you can guess, this little dog is very smart. Just a few minutes later I returned to where she was lying and noticed that she had made a choice...but..apparently it wasn't an easy decision.....

Yes, she had emptied the entire flower pot and finally settled on her favorite bone.

A few minutes later I captured this picture of her and her unusual way of eating a bone

And we are thrilled to report that she has not yet gotten the bone stuck in her mouth when chewing it in this fashion but she just doesn't want to miss all that good stuff in the middle of a circular cut bone.

M.O.M. SAID SHE WILL BE BACK SOON!

2011-08-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

M.O.M. wanted us to put up a post to let everyone know that she is sorry that she hasn't posted for awhile. She and M.O.D. have been way to busy redoing the wiring in the kitchen. She said that it was a project that should have taken half a day but it has taken them 4 days. But M.O.M. changed her mind a few times as to where she wanted the ceiling lights. She has promised M.O.D. that she won't change her mind again....well, at least not about the ceiling lights!

The wiring is done and they have decided that it is time to take some time to themselves for a while.

So between napping, lounging on the patio by the beautiful flower beds, more napping, and even some sleeping in! M.O.M. has said that she will make a larger effort to post on our blog.

Hey, we might even get to go to the beach again!!!

2011-07-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

M.O.D. bought a new chair for watching television and guess who thinks it belongs to her??

I told her she needs to get out of it before M.O.D. walks back into the room and you can see that she did not because she let M.O.M. actually take a picture of her in it for proof!

Oh boy Maggie...you are in sooo much trouble!

Don't say I haven't warned you!

OUR GRAYLAND VISIT

2011-07-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

We did enjoy our visit to this campground just South of us but...

We were camped just about 75 feet from the sand with our own private trail to the the sand. But...

Once we made it to the sand the water was more than 600 feet away!

Of course the pups loved running in the sand but it seemed to take forever to get to the water.

But once we made it to the water the walk along the beach was beautiful.

Those tiny dots are JW, Mistaya and Maggie making their way to the water!

MAGGIE IS LEARNING

2011-07-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

While Maggie and Mistaya were running wild on the beach, Mistaya found a piece of driftwood and started running with it in an attempt to keep it away from Maggie.

Now, this is Mistaya's normal behavior as she always tries to keep all the wonderful treasures to herself.

In the above picture Maggie has just stolen Mistaya's special piece of driftwood and is running for her life!

Maggie is extremely proud that she has finally fooled Mistaya and plans to keep her new found treasure all to herself.

Maggie trotted off down the beach a ways to make sure that Mistaya was not making any sneaky attempt to steal it back.

When she realized she was safe she sat herself down and proceeded to chew the heck out of her little treasure.

Of course it didn't take little Maggie long to realize that this piece of driftwood was a bit to large for her to chew on and it was a bit to large for her to carry it very far in her little mouth.

So after spending a fair amount of time acting like she was really having fun, she raced on down the beach and continued chasing after Mistaya and making a total pest out of herself.

Yes, they both had a wonderful time running together on the beach.

CAMPING AGAIN!

2011-07-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, we went camping again! This time we drove a short distance south and found a large campground right on the sea about 25 minutes from home.

It didn't take Maggie long to discover a treasure of her own...a large crab.

Fortunately we were able to distract her quickly and move on down the beach.

Mistaya spent a great deal of time sitting and staring at a tree that was just beside our tent. She actually sat motionless for many minutes until we discovered what she was so intent on viewing............

And there it was...a pesky Squirrel finding his dinner in the tree and tossing his leftovers down on our tent.

He actually was the only thing of color in this grey tree. Even I was surprised when I viewed this photo at the lack of color except for the Squirrel.

This is what the little pine cones looked like that he was tearing open to eat the seeds hidden inside.

Mistaya was so good and just sat and watched this little creature for more than a half hour. She made no attempt to chase him and he show no fear of her.

Can you take another Washington Coastal sunset picture??

I just can't resist the beauty of this magnificent ocean as the sun leaves us for another day.

Endless Beauty indeed.

More pup photos tomorrow of our camping adventure by the sea.

M.O.M.'s ROSES

2011-07-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Some of M.O.M.'s roses have started to bloom for her. She has transplanted these two roses about a month ago and apparently they are very happy in their new homes.

These are some of the roses that the neighbor has told her that they were planted about 50 years ago.

And they are beautiful!

This little jewel is about the size of a dime...full of color and full of that wonderful old fashion rose aroma.

This pretty yellow rose is almost the size of a quarter coin. And she too, is full of rose buds that will be in full bloom soon.

Both of these little rose plants were found in the side yard trying desperately to grow. One was among the Calla Lily and the second was found among some weeds.

Both had one long spindly stem with a few leaves. Now they are over a foot tall and covered with beautiful foliage and lot's of new buds.

The there is this amazing red jewel..it too has lived here a very long time. I did manage to find part of a metal tag on her that said "Heritage" and Jackson Perkins but the name was unreadable.

This photo was taken before this bud had fully opened.

What an amazing rose she is...and the fragrance is like no other.

M.O.M. is loving spending time out in her garden and is planting things all the time. She planted lot's of Lupins seeds and African Daisies seeds and is now ready to transplant them out into the garden beds to bring lot's of beautiful color to the flower beds all Summer long.

Our back yard is beginning to look like a real English Garden. That is nice because M.O.D. is from England and M.O.M. wants him to feel like he is back in a bit of his home land once in a while.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISTAYA

2011-07-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

MISTAYA AT 1 YEAR OLD

MISTAYA AT 2 YEARS OLD

MISTAYA AT 3 YEARS OLD!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL!

We feel so blessed that our Mistaya came to live with us when she was just a little over 3 months old.

She continues to bring joy into our lives everyday and shares her love with us in an instant.

And Mistaya has become an excellent stepsister to our new Maggie. She has taught Maggie many of the things that I had taught Mistaya, making our job of training Maggie so very easy.

Of course Maggie is still a bit puzzled as to why Mistaya does things she does...

Why is she so afraid of the vacuum cleaner?

Why does she run from the room in fright when ever she sees the fly swatter?

These are just a few of Mistaya's mysteries that we have accepted and try to give her extra love when she suffers with these fears. Those of us who share our homes with rescued puppies accept that they may come into our home with previous fears and because of that we just show them more love.

We love you Mistaya and are so thankful that you are a part of our family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUR SWEET GIRL!!

ETIQUETTE CLASSES STARTING SOON

2011-07-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

Some days the sun just wins!

Little Maggie can fall asleep in the strangest places.

But I must admit, she does know how to take a great power nap!

SIGHTS ON OUR WALK THRU THE RAIN FOREST

2011-07-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

These are a few photos of the great sites we came upon during our wanderings thru the Rain Forest during our recent camping adventure.

This is a photo of myself and my son. We had a photo taken in this exact spot when we both made this same trip to the Rain Forest about 27 years ago. I know for a fact my son has grown a lot more than this old tree has in that many years! Well, I haven't grown up any further but I have grown 'out' a bit since then!

This was a beautiful plant that was growing on this massive tree. I just thought it was a very pretty site.

This is one of the many small creeks we crossed as we wandered thru the forest. Everything is so lush and green.

I took this photo while standing on the bridge that crossed another creek. Yes, you are actually looking down into the creek bed. The plants are on the floor of the creek. The water is really this crystal clear. I could even see small fish swim by.

If you ever get the chance to make a trip to the Olympic National Forest and to see the Hoh Rain Forest in the Western part of Washington State I know you will not be disappointed.

OUR VISIT TO THE RAINFOREST

2011-07-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

A few of our pictures that we took on our stroll thru the Olympic National Park.

There were beautiful views around every corner.

Everything is so old here with many trees reaching amazing heights.

Even on a very sunny day this forest is always so cool and refreshing.

The beautiful moss that drips from the tree limbs has always been one of my favorite things to see in the Rain Forest.

The old tree stump has lost all of it's bark over the years. It actually looks like it is now skin. It is very smooth with a interesting texture.

We are ready to return to this beautiful forest. Maybe before the summer is over. There are so many wonderful places to visit near our home that it will be difficult to do it all in one summer.

Ah, it is nice to have the time to go to these pretty places.

CAMPING PICS

2011-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

These photos can show you what type of forest we were in when camping along the Washington Coast.

Even the camping areas are in dense forests. It can seem like you are in the forest all by yourself some times.

We found this site as we were following a trail that ran from the campground to the beautiful Klahaloch resort just down the road.

There are many old growth trees in the campground and of course many nursery logs as well. The trees in the above photo most likely started on a nursery log because of the height of their root system.

And of course it is always possible to get a great sunset picture on the beaches of Washington State.

OUR VISIT TO THE OLYMPIC NATIONAL RAIN FOREST

2011-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I had not been to the Rain Forest for at least 25 years. It felt good to be back but I did notice some things had changed. There must have been less rain falling throughout the years as this forest was not a dark and filled with beautiful long trendales of dark green moss hanging for the trees that I remember from years ago.

But there were still many, many of the giant trees that have been there for many centuries.

Some with just their stumps left to see.

Many with very interesting bark in different textures.

There were guided tours throughout this magnificent forest with a wonderful information center with many photos to view of very large and majestic trees.

I am sure we will return to this amazing place soon to wander through the woods to enjoy more of the sights.

Sea Creatures on the Beach

2011-07-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

With the low tides there were many sea creatures to see.

Starfish of many different colors are clinging to the rocks hoping for high tide before anyone discovers their hiding places. And the little circles of green in the sand are Sea anemones that are hiding until the tide brings back the sea water to help them open and spread their tentacles again until the next low tide arrives later in the month.

The photo shows the wide variety of seashells that live on these rocks. The wonder of Nature..these creatures live in the water and out in the air on the beach during low tides.

You must admit....these are the strangest creatures on the entire beach. This is typical....miles and miles of beach to run on and where do they like to play the most???....on any of the driftwood logs that litter the beaches.

MORE BEACH PICTURES

2011-07-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

We are sorry we have been so slow in posting on our blog. We have had company, still working in the flower garden everyday and we held a yard sale this weekend too. The yard sale was a Major success and the garden is still a work in progress and starting so show a lot of color and new buds. I promise to post flower photo's soon.

I am posting a few more beach scenes from our recent camping vacation.

This is additional scenes for Ruby Beach on a day with very few tourists.

The weather was so beautiful for our stay here and there were many pretty sites to see.

This is definitely a place to stop and see if you ever travel to the Northwest coast of Washington State.

They look like they could certainly be dangerous waters for cargo ships passing by.

Low tides show so many previously hidden treasures. They really are our favorite time of day to visit the beaches here.

We had better get going....there is lot's to see before the tide starts coming back in!! See you all later!!!!!!!

TREASURE IN THE SEA

2011-06-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Because of the low tides we were able to see many amazing sites near the rocks that are usually cover by the sea at Ruby Beach on the Washington Coast.

This bright orange little shell caught my attention so I clicked this photo. When I enlarged it I was surprised to see similar shells all around it in different colors. I have never found a shell at this beach in this bright orange color. But it's little creature was still occupying it so of course I left them alone.

I enjoy finding this type of shell in my beach combing. They are rather fragile so it is wonderful to find one that is complete without any holes or chipped away pieces. This shell is still occupied and living right next to a sea Anemone that is closed into it's self until the tide returns to cover him in sea water. The green slime seems to be a protection for it.

I liked the formation of these shells and thought they made an interesting pattern.

This is a Sea Anemone that has sea water covering it. Apparently they capture tiny sea creatures in their tentacles.

We had a wonderful time at Ruby Beach during this low tide. An there were not as many tourists as during our last visit.

PICTURES FROM THE SEA

2011-06-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

Our mini vacation was full of wonderful views and treasures.

The first evening brought in some clouds but there was no rain that day or evening.

Our first full day we traveled up the coast to a little fishing town called LaPush. We timed it so the tide was at it's lowest and were able to see things we had not seen before. I have camped along the coast many times while a child but never experienced this low tide. Just good timing I guess.

We were able to get very close to this rock formation. There was several types of wildlife living on this rock.

This formation was a bit to far off the beach to get close to but it was an amazing site to see without much water around it.

This formation was accessible at this very low tide and there were many eagles near by.

There were dozens of American Bald Eagles in the cove where the fishing boats came in to port. They seemed to have found an easy meal at this cute little town.

WE ARE BACK!!

2011-06-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, we have to confess that we ran away to the sea and had a wonderful time there!

We all loaded into the car and drove up the coast to a beautiful beach and camping area and spent most of the week.

As you can see the weather was wonderful with everyday filled with sunshine.

And of course there were many wonderful sights to see too.

We have more photos and will try to get them posted soon. Everyone is very busy watering, weeding and tending the yard and gardens.

It is good to be back home and we have both found our favorite sleeping spots in the yard and are trying to catch up on our sleep. Of course we are still dreaming about all the running we did on the beaches and in the great waves!

WE CAN'T LEAVE COMMENTS

2011-06-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.
We want you to know that M.O.M. has been trying to leave comments on your blogs for several hours today but she cannot. We do want you to know that we have been visiting your blogs but if you don't accept anonymous post then we can not leave you a comment.

M.O.M. just tried to leave the following comment for Jazzi but could not so she is giving up and posting it here............

*********************************************

M.O.M. and M.O.D. do not allow Maggie and me to be in the kitchen when they are cooking. M.O.M. does try to sneak me bites when Maggie isn't around cause Maggie has never tasted human food like I have. Maggie has not yet figured out what those great smells are coming from the kitchen. M.O.M. can even sit down on the couch to enjoy a snack and Maggie will curl up beside her not realizing there is something delicious to beg for. Heck, she doesn't even know what begging is. M.O.M. has said she wishes they would have done it that way with me. Apparently she thinks my wonderful waist line is getting out of control. And of course Maggies looks nice and trim!!

Oh well.

Hugs and wags, Mistaya and skinny Maggie!

***************************************

We do hope to resolve this comment issue soon so we can get back in touch with all our blogger friends!!

FROM THE DOG

2011-06-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

Dear God: Is it on purpose our names are the same, only reversed?

Dear God: Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?

Dear God: When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it still the same old story?

Dear God: Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE named for a Dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We do love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the 'Chrysler Eagle' the 'Chrysler Beagle'?

Dear God: If a Dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad Dog?

Dear God: We Dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent ID's, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Dear God: More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

Dear God: Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God: Let me give you a list of just some of the things I must remember to be a good Dog.

1. I will not eat the cats' food before they eat it or after they throw it up.

2. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because I like the way they smell.

3. The Litter Box is not a cookie jar.

4. The sofa is not a 'face towel'.

5. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.

6. I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's on the toilet.

7. Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is an unacceptable way of saying 'hello'.

8. I don't need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm under the coffee table

9. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the house - not after.

10. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt across the carpet.

11. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch.

12. The cat is not a 'squeaky toy' so when I play with him and he makes that noise, it's usually not a good thing.

P.S. Dear God: When I get to Heaven, may I have my testicles back?

OUR LATEST VISIT TO THE SEA

2011-06-08T15:44:00.000-07:00

We visited the beach when the tide was the lowest of the month. We had a good time but the treasures were few.

But we did see several of Natures treasures.

We have never photographed any of these creatures here because the tide has never been this low during our previous visits

Shell treasures were very scarce and hard to find.

I did find some beautiful shells but they were still being inhabited by their sea creature renters.

So those were left where they were found among the rocks, caught there by the very low tide.

The photo below was taken from a earlier visit to the same beach. If you notice the land jutting out into the sea, that is the area of the jetty that Mistaya and Maggie got caught on when the waves suddenly went far out to sea then caught them both as the waves came back in.

In the photo below you can still see that same part of the jetting. But as you can see, there is no more sea around the jetting itself. Just large rocks that are normally several feet under the sea during normal tides.

It was a strange site to see so much beach at our favorite spot. We plan to return to the beach during high tide real soon. That should be a completely different picture of the 2 above photos.

But we did come upon a very strange sea creature that day on the beach..

Yes, it is a snake. I can't even begin to guess where he came from!

And no, I don't want to even know!

SHARING IS SUCH A GOOD THING

2011-06-07T19:13:00.001-07:00

a photo from a recent email

We are sorry for you loss Fern

2011-06-04T19:42:00.001-07:00

Mistaya, Maggie and I all want to tell Fern how sad we are that she has lost her beloved Bambi to Heart Failure. Fern, you are in our thoughts and we send our love to you.

GOD BLESS ALL OUR SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN

2011-05-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

YOU KNOW IT'S WAY TO HOT WHEN

2011-05-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

YOUR ICE CREAM MELTS!

DOES ANYONE WANT TO PLAY WITH ME?

2011-05-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

We are having a beautiful morning with a tiny bit of rain and lot's of sunshine breaks. But I can't seem to find anyone to come outside and play with me.

I will even share my squeaky toy with you.

And maybe I can ~~con~~ talk M.O.M. into bringing out some biscuits for us to share.

If you can come over just call 1-PUP-SUPER-DOG any time!

HOW MUCH HAS MAGGIE GROWN?

2011-05-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Several people have asked me how much Maggie has grown since we rescued her and brought her into our home.

Well, they say a picture is worth a 1,000 words....

And I think they say it all

THE AMAZING ANIMAL WORLD

2011-05-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Cingino Dam in Italy.

This is the Cingino dam in Italy but look closer.........

They are European Ibex and they like to eat the moss, lichen & lick the salt off the dam wall.

This has to be one to the strangest things I have ever seen.

What amazing and very clever animals these goats are.

2011-05-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy out in the yard so I took a moment to find something quick and clever to post for you. I think you will find this interesting....

This year we're going to experience four unusual dates.

1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that's not all...

Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born - now add

the age you will be this year, The results will be 111 for everyone in whole world.

Yea I know...it worked for us too!

DEAR DOGS, CATS AND VISITORS...

2011-05-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

I posted this several years ago and found it again today. I think you will enjoy this....

DEAR DOGS,CATS & VISITORS:

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this.. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

VISITORS:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

1) They live here. You don't.

2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.

(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

(1) eat less

(2) don't ask for money all the time

(3) are easier to train

(4) normally come when called

(5) never ask to drive the car

(6) don't hang out with drug-using people

(7) don't smoke or drink

(8) don't want to wear your clothes

(9) don't have to buy the latest fashions

(10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and

(11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children....

TEACHING A YOUNG DOG NEW TRICKS

2011-05-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just can't teach old dogs new tricks.

But we found that sometimes it is even harder to teach a young dog new tricks.

Let me explain.

In Montana one of Mistaya's favorite things to do was to try to 'kill' the water that came out of the hose.

Because she would try so hard to bite and chew the stream of water that we learned to place a large plant pot tray under the stream of water. During her chewing she would tear up a lot of grass causing ugly bare spots in our lawn.

It did appear that Mistaya was trying to explain to Maggie how the sport of biting and chewing a stream of water actually works.

Maggie did seem to try real hard to understand what this game was all about.

She gave it a real brave try.....

She lunged at the spraying water...

She tried watching for a second...

She tried lunging at it...

She couldn't figure out what Mistaya was doing...or why she was doing it.

Finally Maggie stopped and just watched...still very puzzled why Mistaya would want to fight with a stream of water.

MORE PICS OF CAPTAIN JACKS TALL SHIP

2011-05-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am posting some up close photos of the Tall Ships that are dock in our harbor.

The one of the left is the Hawaiian Chieftain with the Lady Washington to the right.

Both ships fly the American flag and Lady Washington always flies the Washington State flag.

Makes me proud.

They do give tours on these 2 ships and on Mothers Day they had a special of $5.00 for mom's to take the tour and enjoy the gun battle.

We had company that day so I did not take the tour.

Of course you may click on any of the photos to get a better view.

We never tire of seeing the 2 ships sailing up the river on their tours as we pass over above on the bridge.

2011-05-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

What a fun day we had.

On Mothers day M.O.M. and M.O.D. took us over to the harbor to see some really pretty ships.

This first ship is named the 'Hawaiian Chieftain'.

Then there is M.O.M.'s favorite...

This is the 'Lady Washington' and she is one of the Tall Ships seen in the great "Pirates Of The Caribbean" movie series.

She is a beautiful ship...especially up close with all the vintage details on her.

But actually, M.O.M. thinks it's pretty cool because Johnny Depp stars in all those movies. Oops...I mean 'Captain Jack'....sorry M.O.M.!!

These beautiful Tall Ships call our harbor their home port. And every time they return to port there are several cannons that shoot off a salutes to the 2 ships....a very loud display indeed!

The ships attend many events along the coast and also in Pudget Sound near Seattle, through out the boating season.

And when they are moored in our harbor they give river tours to our visitors.

If you look closely you can see several guest passengers on the ships enjoying a beautiful ride up the river and back to the docks.

It seems we find new adventures weekly here in our new little town. We thought the sea was the best but this little town is full of surprises!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY EVERYONE!!

2011-05-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

WHY GOD MADE MOMS

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine..

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

We hope you all have a wonderful day.

BLOCK WATCH DOGS ON DUTY

2011-04-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

We have the best watch dogs on the block!

I caught these photos today as the dogs were sitting on the hope chest that Mistaya has always been sure we put there for her to use as a window seat.

So that is just how we all use it.

In the photo below the 2 dogs are checking to make sure everything is okay down the street.

Then they both check to make sure everything is A Okay across the street.

Then of course, they have to check up the street too, to make sure all is well in that direction too.

This behavior really doesn't surprise us much because Mistaya seems to know when the old, slow gray cat is walking by her front door on the sidewalk and always runs to the window seat and in her familiar dog talk, let's that old gray cat know that Mistaya does not appreciate him walking the sidewalk that belongs to Maggie and Mistaya.

Very serious business indeed but I am sad to report that Old Gray Cat always acts like there is not another animal on this street for blocks and blocks. He never changes pace or varies off his daily course as he continues on his way to where ever he goes each day.

After the BLOCK WATCH DOGS have finished their shifts there is always a need for a great nap.

After all, being a BLOCK WATCH DOG is very serious business and it can certainly wear a dog out fast!

IT IS A DARK AND STORMY DAY

2011-04-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

We awoke a to very dark and stormy morning.

And our little Miss Maggie decided that it was her day to spend wrapped up in a soft warm blanket.

And I must say, it was very difficult not to join her in a warm cozy nap!

ARE YOU AMONG THE AVERAGE ..

2011-04-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

Are you among the Average American Dog or Cat Owner who spends lot's of money on toys for their pets?

I imagine many of you are, so I know I am also a member of that elite club myself.

We enjoy purchasing play things for the dogs to keep them entertained in the house plus while they are in the backyard. I must admit that often the purchases are intended to help ward off the desire to chew the rugs, furniture, walls, shoes, etc.

And we buy things for the same reason while they are out in the backyard. My rose bushes seem to attract Maggie for some reason. I often wondered if one particular vintage red rose bush scratched her as she ran by because the bush is now void of any leaves on the limb that hangs out over the walkway.

And she is so sure that when we dig a flower bed to plant something new in the flower garden, that all that soft dirt is there for her to practice digging that elusive Fox out of his foxhole. Believe me, she seems to think that they all lived very deep in the ground!!

As you can see in the above photo, there is a play ball for Maggie about 4 inches from her cute little nose.

But do you see this cute little dog playing with the toy that we spent money on???

No, she is not spending time playing with the toy we spent money on.

She is very happily playing and chewing on an old roofing shingle that was turned up in the dirt while we were preparing to turn some yard area for our veggie garden.

I waited until she discovered something else in the yard that required her immediate attention and then quietly removed the shingle from the premises.

Yes, of course we will continue to purchase toys for our pets.
They may not really care,

but you all know it makes us Humans feel better

HUMOR TIME

2011-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

In the year 2005, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the United States, and said, "Once again, the earth has become wicked and overpopulated and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save two of every living thing along with a few good humans.
He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, "You have six months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights."

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard ....but no Ark! "Noah", He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?"

"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah. "But things have changed. I needed a building permit. I've been arguing with the inspector about the need for a sprinkler system. My neighbors claim that I've violated the neighborhood zoning laws building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations. We had to go to the Development Appeal Board for a decision."
Noah continued. "Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I argued that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it. "

"Getting the wood was another problem," continued Noah. "There's a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls." But no go!

When I started gathering the animals, I got sued by an animal rights group. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. As well, they argued the accommodation was too restrictive and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.

Then the EPA ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.

I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew.

Also, the trades unions say I can't use my sons.

"To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species."

"So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least ten years for me to finish this Ark."
Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean, You're not going to destroy the world?".

"No," said the Lord. "The government beat me to it."

2011-04-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Lucky Dog....

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character.

Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease......in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.

She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her....what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through.

If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him! The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap..

Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.

When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned!

While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.

He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky. He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

MAGGIE IS BACK!

2011-04-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Maggie wants to thank everyone for all their kind words while she was away going through surgery.

She came home a very sleepy girl and slept very well that first night at home. We are very happy to have her back at home with us.

Her stitches are looking nice and clean and she and Mistaya are back to playing their games again.

Mistaya seemed to know what she had been through and played very gently with her on Maggie's first day back home.

We are thankful that it is over and our little family is all back together again...just as it should be.

Again, thank you all.

2011-04-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

TIME

I am always amazed at how slowly time can seem to go by. When I am waiting for a friend to come for a visit, waiting for the bus to arrive, waiting for the mailman with that refund check, waiting for the scale to reaffirm that I have found the real me.
But then, time can seem to 'fly by' and does not wait for me..my friend arrives for her visit and our time together is gone so quickly. The bus arrives faster than I had planned...and it pulls away without me. The refund check is cashed and spent before I have made all my wanted purchases.

It seems to be true that time waits for no one. But I have found that I am able to accomplish so much with the time I am given everyday...and I need to stop and reflect each evening just how much I have accomplished each and every day.

We are all given the exact amount of time each and every day to do with as we wish. I do not want to lie my head down on my pillow at night and wish that I had done so much more with my day.

Each day if a gift filled with time...what you choose to do with it is your choice. Just enjoy it. Today will never be here again, but tomorrow and yesterday always will be.

MAGGIE IS 'AWAY' TODAY

2011-04-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today is the day for our little Maggie to make that trip to the Vet for her 'girl surgery'.

And I think you can tell by the look on her face that she is not so sure she wants to go into the front door of the Vet's office.

And I am not to sure just which one of us this day is the hardest on...

Me...M.O.M. I love this little dog so much. Her nickname is "Spirit Joy" because she is so full of joy when she wakes up in the morning, when I walk back into the room when I have been gone for just a moment, when she crawls up on the couch to snuggled up beside me for one of her many naps.

M.O.D....He was very hesitant to let the Vet assistant take her from his arms this morning. He did follow them most of the way down the hall to the holding room. I did tell him that it didn't mean it was a room where he could hold her some more. She spends most of her outside time watching for him to come out and play with her or just be nearby. There is quite a bond between those two. Even Mistaya seems to be recognising it too.

Then their is Mistaya. She has been restless all morning, wandering in and out of rooms, in and out in the yard, then back inside again. She comes up to me as I type at the computer and leans against me as if she just can't find her best friend.

We are hoping that we can pick Maggie up from the Vet near closing time this afternoon instead of in the morning.

Yes, we all miss our "Spirit Joy" so much.

Oh yes, Distance can make the heart grow fonder....in dogs too.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MISTAYA AND MAGGIE!!!

2011-04-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Today Mistaya and Maggie had their 8,000th reader to their blog site!! Congratulations to the reader from Walla Walla Washington for stopping by to visit us on this special day.

And as usual "Thank You" to all of our faithful readers who helped us to reach this wonderful number.

Now, on to our 400th post and reader number 9,000!!!

2011-04-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

2011-04-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

DOG & CAT PRAYER:
"Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in the entire world is more grateful for your kindness than mine.
Don't be angry with me for long, and don't lock me up as punishment.
After all, you have your job, your friends, and your entertainment.
I only have you."

IS ANYONE OUT THERE?

2011-04-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Time and time again I see this view out in the backyard.

And I can not figure out just what is going on in this little dogs brain.

She sits for long periods of time just "looking".

Staring out into the Universe looking, listening or wishing for some thing that we may never discover.

She is not a barker...we have heard just one bark from her in the 2 and 1/2 months she has lived with us.

She is a very happy free spirit that plays with Mistaya until both are exhausted from all the wrestling and running about the yard.

But she always allots a block of time to just sit and stare up into the Heavens. A mystery that will never be solved but watched and admired from a distance as this little creature seems to be keeping in contact with something or someone far beyond our capabilities to comprehend.

When I find her waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge in the years to come, this is one of the first questions I want to ask her as I hold her in my arms again at last.

A MIRACLE IN MY GARDEN

2011-04-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

Gardeners are a strange lot, I know. Sometimes the littlest things get us so excited.

And I am no different.

Before leaving our home in Montana I spent some time digging up many of my bulb plants with the intention of replanting them at our new home by the sea in the spring.

There was a variety of colors and types but many were lilies.

I placed them in a burlap bag with sawdust as filler to keep them safe. They seemed to rest comfortably in the bag as we did all our travels and they spent the 'winter' inside the bag in the shop to be away from the new elements.

At some point this early spring I placed them in the bag into a half whiskey barrel that was out in the yard. I covered the barrel with a tarp to keep all the rain water out until it was time to plant all the bulbs.

A few days ago I decided that it was time to cut open the burlap bag to find some bulbs to set into the flower bed.

As I lifted the tarp from the barrel I was so shocked to see that the whiskey barrel was completely filled with rain water. Apparently I had used a tarp that had small holes in it that I hadn't spotted earlier.

I didn't get a photo of the drowned bulb sack..I was just to upset about the whole thing.

I did turn the barrel on it's side to drain out all the water so I could dispose of the ruined bulbs and sack. It took several days of sun and a light breeze to dry out everything.

As I picked up the bag to place it in the garbage can the bottom of the bag fell out of it. So I shook out the rest of the contents into the barrel and decided I would spread it on the garden to be worked in when we tilled it.

This is what the contents of my bulb bag looked like after it was removed from the burlap bag...

Of course I was heart broken to see that nothing had survived this terrible incident of all that rain water.

As I place my hands into the mixture to prepare it for the garden I felt something against my fingers. I gently pulled and to my joy and amazement I brought up a plant!

I was so surprised and excited to see that something had actually survived a near drowning in the whiskey barrel.

Of course I have great hopes that is survivor could be one of my precious Tiger Lilies.

I carefully placed my little treasure into a pot and placed it back in the shop to protect it from the rain and cold evenings we are having for a few days.

We have named this little plant "Miracle" because it has to be one considering everything this little plant has been through.

I am hoping that this plant will be one of my Tiger Lilies because I have had this plant since I planted a seed in 1985 in my garden. I had dug it up and replanted it every where I have lived ever since.

But considering the journey this little bulb has made, I will welcome any Lily into the garden and tend it well. And hopefully she will stay with us for many years to come.

I will post a photo of "Miracle" the moment she shows her true 'colors' to us!

Oh my, A miracle has happened in my garden!

A TYPICAL WALK WITH THE DOGS

2011-04-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

When we take the dogs to the park or the beach this is usually the scene we see just after we have released the dogs from their leashes.

They are always so excited to start running as fast as they can in which ever direction we direct them.

And of course it is always little Maggie that is bringing up the rear.

But she does not give up and can often catch up to Mistaya while Mistaya is busy sticking her nose into some strange smell some where.

Maggie is the first one to slow down and wonder where we are.

And on the return trip she does an amazing job of keeping up with speedy Mistaya.

Often by the time the have run themselves out they have been seen walking like to young ladies back to us.

No, that doesn't happen often but once in awhile we spend enough time beach combing that they have lot's of time to explore the entire area of the bay area. And of course this only happens when we are lucky enough to be the only people and dogs in the area.

Rain or shine we all have a wonderful time.

Even the dogs do not want to head back to our car on sunny days like this one.

But we know we have a long wonderful summer ahead of us with plenty of chances to visit this place again and find even more interesting treasures and time for miles and miles of excited dog running.

THE ART OF SLEEPING IN A BOX

2011-04-03T05:55:00.000-07:00

Done only the way a cat can do it...

Just be creative!

Just remember to be creative!
There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life:

Music and cats - Albert Schweitzer

2011-04-02T03:44:00.000-07:00

I am sorry but I have to drop out of the A to Z blog challenge. I hope to take part in this great challenge next year. Over 900 participants this year. Amazing! Thank you for stopping by my blog, Gail

A TO Z BLOG CHALLENGE

2011-04-01T04:34:00.000-07:00

"A"

ADOPTION

Webster's Dictionary tells us that Adoption is to choose or take as one's own, to take a new relationship.

In the animal world, to me it means to rescue, to free from confinement and even save from death.

My first memorable animal adoption was of a tiny black ball of fur with the most appealing facial expression I had ever seen. There was no way I could say no to such a Kitten. She would sit in the palm of my hand and look at me as if to say "Well, now what?"

This little creature joined my household when my son was 7 years old. At a very early age she decided it was her job to sit on my son's lap at every opportunity and to follow him everywhere he went in our house. She was not allowed to go outside because to the Coyote pack that traveled through our neighborhood. But she claimed a spot on the front windowsill that was hers for many years to come.

As my son grew older and his friends made numerous appearances at our house, our cat welcomed his friends into our home as if they lived there too.

But the amazing thing about this adopted or rescued cat is that she had an uncanny ability to know when my son was coming home. Knowing when he was arriving on his school bus was easy to figure out. It arrived at almost the same time in front of our house twice a day. And of course she would be sitting in the living room window waiting for the bus to come over the hill.

But her action that always surprised me was her ability to know just the precise moment my son would drive over the hill after spending some time away....a few hours or even a day or more. As he came down the street into our driveway he could always see that cat sitting in the window waiting for him.

She must have thought that this action was her duty. Her way of saying thank you for rescuing her.

My son left home after high school and our cat missed him every day. She spent a lot of time in his empty room probably hoping he was coming home soon.

My only mistake with this adopted cat was one day when my son called home I told him to say hello to her and put the phone to her ear. Not realizing her strong bond with him that had never been broken, she spent the next several hours walking around the house crying and looking for him. How do you explain to a cat that son is over 2,000 miles away and not hiding out in our house somewhere?

Our wonderful cat spent the next 7 years without seeing her dear friend. But the day he returned she knew the moment he was approaching the hill to our house. She suddenly positioned herself in her familiar spot at the window even before his car crested the hill above our driveway. I was amazed and have wondered many times how she knew he was finally coming home. She carried on for hours like an old mother hen fussing over him.

She spent a total of 22 years sharing her love and affection with us. I still miss the sweet sound of her purr during the night that always felt so reassuring to me as she and I spent all those nights alone together as we both grew older.

This beautiful cat did get to spend many blissful days out in the sun. I remarried when she was 17 years old and we lived in a very cat friendly area. It did not take her long to find just that one special spot in the shaded yard that became her own personal napping spot. She laid there so often that a indent in the yard could be seen for several years after she left us.

If was good to know that she was able to enjoy the sun on her fur and the gentle fresh breeze against her face in her remaining years with us.

She passed on over the Rainbow Bridge into heaven while lying in my arms for comfort. After all she had given me I knew this was the least I could do for my dear sweet friend.

I have adopted several animals in my life and they have all been sweet, kind and anxious to return my love. They all seem to know that they have been given a second chance in this life and try to show their gratitude every day.

WE ARE BACK AT THE BEACH!

2011-03-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

We went to go to the beach for M.O.M.'s birthday.

We noticed that there were a lot of shells on the sand from a storm during the night.

So while M.O.M. and M.O.D. were busy hunting for treasure the dogs took off exploring everywhere.

Of course Mistaya always runs so fast that little Maggie has a hard time keeping up with her.

But once in awhile Maggie manages to catch up with Mistaya and some times the results are not what Maggie expects!

Mistaya seems to enjoy a "drive by" attack to little Maggie. She often spins her little body,growls like a mad dog then runs off at top speed.

And usually by the time Maggie recovers Mistaya is no where to be seen!

Maggie doesn't give up and looks every where for her.

And in no time at all she is hot on Mistaya's trail again.

This behavior goes on and on until Mistaya thinks she has covered enough ground at top speed and she returns to the water near us and our beach combing.

Because of Maggie's prior experience with the large waves she does stay away from the water...which we encourage her to do.

I can not go through another close call of little Maggie being swept out to sea.

The waves began to get very large after we had been here for a few hours and we decided not to take a chance so we headed back to the car for our return trip back home.

And as usual little Maggie is fast asleep in her dog bed about 2 minutes out of the parking lot.

And Mistaya is not far behind into her deep sleep.

What a wonderful Birthday it was with my wonderful husband and 2 delightful dogs to share the day with.

Life is so good

2011-03-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

Mistaya and Maggie want to give M.O.M. a great big giant HAPPY BIRTHDAY LICK because today is her birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE LOVE YOU M.O.M.

And we are so glad you have rescued us and are giving us such a wonderful life with you and M.O.D.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY M.O.M.!!

WE LOVE YOU!

2011-03-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

We took the pups to the ocean today so they could enjoy a great run and we could do some beach combing.

The weather was very pleasant with just a few people on the beach.

We had worked our way around the bay and came close to the rocks that start the edge of the jetty.

We purposely timed our adventure to be the same time as the low tide. The chance of finding some real shell treasures is much better at that time.

We hunted and strolled along the water line and planned to turn back when we reach the edge of the jetty.

The pups were running ahead of us having a wonderful time. Maggie was doing her best to keep up with Mistaya and tried to go everywhere she did.

I was just about 20 feet from the jetty when I saw the two of them running in the sand at the edge of the large boulders of the jetty. To my horror they were running along the jetty where it curved out into the sea. At that moment a large waved caught me by surprise and I tried to climb up on the boulders to get away from it. It was of course, to fast for me and the water rose up above my knees.

As I scrambled up a few feet I realized Mistaya and Maggie were no where to be seen.

Can you here me crying right now???

I screamed at JW and then screamed Mistaya's name knowing that Maggie would not be far behind her.

There appeared Mistaya just inches from the surf and no Maggie in site.

I yelled for Mistaya to climb up the boulders and she did. Just then I saw Maggie struggling to get her footing at the edge of the large boulders. They were so much bigger and taller than she was. She climbed up one, then another just as the waved washed up onto the boulder she was standing on. I saw the water as it was rising above her belly line and thought I was going to loose her. We both called for her to keep climbing and with the help of all her precious Guardian Angels she did. The look of fear on her face was almost more than I could bare as I could not get to her.

That wise little pup some how knew to keep climbing as it was getting her away for the water.

As I found the safety of the dry sand Maggie came running down around the jetty boulders and I am not sure which of us was the happiest to see the other. I pulled her into my arms and told her how sorry I was and that if need be I would have jumped in to save her.

She gave me a few sweet licks then headed off to find Mistaya and they ran back down the beach to safer sand.

I shook all the way home from our adventure. And I suspect that Maggie will not find any reason to venture close to the water from now on. And that is okay with me..we will stay well above the water line from now on.

Thank god for puppy Angels

2011-03-11T09:08:00.001-08:00

We are all okay after the Tsunami that hit here this morning. Fortunately it was a small wave event by the time it reached our shores here in Washington state from Japan. Pray for the people of Japan.

GUESS WHO GOT HER WAY TODAY!

2011-03-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, Little Maggie has learned all her tricks from Miss Mistaya!

And she works them very well.

Maggie knows how to work those pretty little eyes and that very expressive face of hers.

We took a drive to the ocean on Monday to hunt for shells and to let the dogs play.

It didn't take Maggie long to make us realize she wanted to be off the leash just like Mistaya was. Since we were lucky enough to be the only ones on this sun filled beach we turned her loose.

She and Mistaya raced up and down the beach, over the driftwood logs, into the waves...at least Mistaya tried to get her to follow her. But Maggie just isn't ready to face the water and waves just yet.

Occasionally, Maggie had to make a rest stop to catch her breath. Mistaya's legs are a bit longer than little Maggie's but she tries so hard to keep up.

Several times Mistaya finally realized that she had left Maggie behind and would come back to us to find her. And Maggie was wonderful about returning to us when she felt left behind.

Finally they both seemed to run out of steam and wandered back to us.

We packed up our shell treasures and headed back to the car to fresh water for the pups and a soda for us.

Little Maggie was so tired she couldn't even make it all the way into her bed before she was deep into her sleep.

And Mistaya found herself a sunny spot to make herself comfortable as we headed back home after another wonderful play day at the Sea.

We feel so fortunate to have 2 such amazing little animals live with us and bring so much happiness into our lives.

Rescued dogs are the best.

2011-03-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

I am joining the A TO Z challenge presented for the second year by the blogger of http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/ . It sounds like a lot of fun and I am willing to give it a try.
I have borrowed this quote from her site to help explain it better...

"The premise of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge is to post something on your blog every day in April except for Sundays. In doing this you will have 26 blog posts--one for each letter of the alphabet. Each day you will theme your post according to a letter of the alphabet."

"You will only be limited by your own imagination in this challenge. There is an unlimited universe of possibilities. You can post essays, short pieces of fiction, poetry, recipes, travel sketches, or anything else you would like to write about. You don't have to be a writer to do this. You can post photos, including samples of your own art or craftwork. Everyone who blogs can post from A to Z."

You can sign up at the above link...and learn more about this challenge but hurry, it is filling fast.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!

2011-02-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

2011-02-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

I could not believe my eyes when I walked into the living room this afternoon.

I had been busy on the treadmill and did not hear what was taking place in the other room.

I am sure that every toy Maggie and Mistaya own are now in the middle of the living room!

I can't even imagine who is responsible for this....

Could it be big sister Mistaya??

She loves playing with her toys but usually plays with just a few at a time.

Or could it be the little sister known as Maggie???

No, it just couldn't be that sweet little Maggie!

Could it?

Oh Miss Maggie!!

You have been caught little lady!!

There are 2 possibilities here...

Maggie has become a hoarder...

Or Sweet Mistaya has taken a part in all of this.

I think I lean towards the Big Sister conspiracy.

MAGGIE'S FIRST TRIP TO THE BIG POND

2011-02-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

It was a tough day for Maggie's first adventure to the sea. There were high winds there when we arrived and decided to brave the weather to see how she liked it.

I really think that with all the wind and new world for Maggie that she was a bit intimidated about the whole experience.

I did begin to think that we had not choose a very good day for her first day at the sea.

But she did run a bit with Mistaya in the sand but always came running back to us to make sure we were still all together.

But all seemed right with the world again after we returned home.

We will return to the sea again soon but not until we can find a day that the winds are calm. That way Maggie can get a chance to really explore her new world and still be able to hear us when we call her and Mistaya, and the sand will not be blowing in our faces!

SOME DAYS ARE SOOO BUSY

2011-02-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

Well, my day started out pretty good today.

Dogsister Mistaya and I spent a lot of fun time out in the back yard chasing each other around trying to see who is the toughest.

I think it was a tie.

Then later in the day we carried our tussle into the house and had so much fun playing on M.O.M.'s favorite rug.

We ran around, rolled each other all over the place, snarled like we were angry at each other.

But in the end we decided that we were really great sisters and no one was meaner than the other....cause during our wrestling match we did both cry out at least once each.

So it is still a tie. A good way to end it.

Then Catsister walked into the room just as I was about to take a nap.

Well, I couldn't just let her waltz through like she owned the place!

So I ran right up to her to ask her just where she thought she was going.

Well, she didn't speak with any words...she didn't have to...her claws spoke real loud!!!

So I decided that it was definitely time for me to look for a place to get in my nap.

It didn't take me long to find the perfect safe, peaceful place to get in my nap after this very strenuous day.

Ah, sweet dreams.

YOU MIGHT NEED A TISSUE FOR THIS ONE

2011-02-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

Unlike most days at Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray, damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined. All the recent arrivals were confused and concerned. They had no idea what to think for they had never experienced a day like this before.
But the animals who had spent some time waiting for their beloved people knew exactly what was happening and began to gather at the pathway leading to the Bridge to watch. They knew this was something special.

It wasn't too long before an elderly animal came into view, head hung heavy and low with tail dragging along the ground. The other animals on the pathway...the ones who had been at Rainbow Bridge for a while...knew the story of this sad creature immediately. They had seen it happen far too many times.

Although it was obvious the animal's heart was leaden and he was totally overcome with emotional pain and hurt, there was no sign of injury or an illness. Unlike the pets waiting at the Bridge, this dog had not been restored to his prime. He was full of neither health nor vigor. He approached slowly and painfully, watching all the pets who were by now watching him. He knew he was out of place here. This was no resting place for him. He felt instinctively that the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would be.

But alas, as he came closer to the Bridge, his way was barred by the appearance of an Angel who spoke softly to the old dog and apologized sorrowfully, telling him that he would not be able to pass. Only those animals who were with their special people could pass over the Rainbow Bridge. And he had no
special beloved people...not here at the Bridge nor on Earth below.

With no place else to turn, the poor elderly dog looked toward the fields before the Bridge. There, in a separate area nearby, he spotted a group of other sad-eyed animals like himself...elderly and infirm. Unlike the pets waiting for their special people, these animals weren't playing, but simply lying on the green grass, forlornly and miserably staring out at the pathway leading to the Bridge. The recent arrival knew he had no choice but to join them. And so, he took his place among them, just watching the pathway and waiting.

One of the newest arrivals at the Bridge, who was waiting for his special people, could not understand what he had just witnessed and asked one of the pets who had been there for some time to explain it to him.
"That poor dog was a rescue, sent to the pound when his owner grew tired of him. The way you see him now, with graying fur and sad, cloudy eyes, was exactly the way he was when he was put into the kennels. He never, ever made it out and passed on only with the love and comfort that the kennel
workers could give him as he left his miserable and unloved existence on Earth for good. Because he had no family or special person to give his love, he has nobody to escort him across the Bridge."

The first animal thought about this for a minute and then asked, "So what will happen now?"

As he was about to receive his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the all-invasive gloom lifted. Coming toward the Bridge could be seen a single figure...a person who, on Earth, had seemed quite ordinary...a person who, just like the elderly dog, had just left Earth forever. This figure turned toward a group of the sad animals and extended outstretched palms. The sweetest sounds they had ever heard echoed gently above them and all were bathed in a pure and golden light. Instantly, each was young and healthy again, just as they had been in the prime of life.

From within the gathering of pets waiting for their special people, group of animals emerged and moved toward the pathway. As they came close to the passing figure, each bowed low and each received a tender pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. Their eyes grew even brighter as the figure softly murmured each name. Then, the newly-restored pets fell into line behind the figure and quietly followed this person to the Bridge, where they all crossed together.

The recent arrival who had been watching, was amazed. "What happened?"

"That was a rescuer," came the answer. "That person spent a lifetime trying to help pets of all kinds. The ones you saw bowing in respect were those who found new homes because of such unselfish work. They will cross when their families arrive. Those you saw restored were ones who never found homes. When a rescuer arrives, they are permitted to perform one, final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those poor pets they couldn't place on Earth across the Rainbow Bridge. You see, all animals are special to them...just as they are special to all animals."

"I think I like rescuers," said the recent arrival.

"So does Heaven, my friend. So does Heaven." was the reply.

--Author Unknown--

Friends..after letting this sweet story settle in my heart for awhile I found a part that just didn't settle with me. In my heart I truly believe that those poor precious animals that do not get rescued are always at the front of the line to cross the Rainbow Bridge. They are the ones that died suffering and alone not knowing the love of a rescue family.

The sweetest souls maybe the ones not rescued. Gail

TIME FOR FAMILY PICTURES...OR..WHAT WAS I THINKING?

2011-02-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Isn't this a cute picture??

Don't they look like they truly love each other?

Gosh, they must be best friends!

I suspect that Mistaya was trying to tell me a whole different version of this story.....

Yes, I think it turned out real well.

But wait....

I have just a few pictures to show you that it really was quite the challenge to get just this one picture of these 2 cute dogs being still in the same frame..at the same moment.

This is a typical response by Mistaya to my request to "Please sit still for just a moment!"

Maggie did pretty good.

Mistaya's look kind of says it all during this photo shoot!

Well, one of them tried to cooperate with me!

But in the next pictures Maggie was trying so hard to be good but Mistaya choose that moment to act like she was falling over! And she just couldn't sit up any longer.

Oh Brother!!!!

And this is Mistaya's expression just after I took the top photo.

Her look says it all....I have had enough!!!!

So I am pleased that out of all the pictures I snapped of them that I did at least get one pretty good one.

Lesson learned....don't try to photograph 2 dogs in the same shot when you are the only human in the building!

I could not have done it if I hadn't come up with the idea of using my emergency whistle to get their attention. Neither one had heard it before so it easily caught their attention.

But next time I will wait till my husband is in the same room and recruit him to help keep these two in one place for just a bit longer!

MAGGIE'S FIRST WALK ON HER LEASH

2011-02-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

The sun came out this afternoon so I thought that was the perfect time to take the dogs for a walk.

So I dug out the collars and retractable leashes and put them on the dogs and headed down the street.

Well, almost!!

Come on now girls, let's get our acts together!!!

In all fairness, this was just the second time Maggie has walked on a retractable leash so she really was doing rather well.

Oh now, that is more like it ladies!

We managed to walk all the way down to the end of our street (just one block) and walked a distance on the Harbor Dike Trail.

I got brave and took them off leash...

And they had the time of their lives!

Maggie worked so hard to try to keep up with Mistaya

and Mistaya did stop and return to Maggie so they could run together once in awhile.

Maggie may be small but she has the heart of a greyhound! She tries to run so fast that her little legs were working like pistons. And once in awhile I saw her hind legs actually try to get ahead of her front legs. A very funny sight!

After we returned home it did not take Maggie long to find a comfy spot on the couch to get in a well deserved nap after her big excursion.....

I clicked this picture, turned away for just a moment...and then...

This is what I saw....

Sweet dreams little princess.

I am very thankful for having such an intelligent dog as Mistaya to mentor our little Maggie. Maggie is watching everything Mistaya does and is learning so very quickly.

She was with us just 4 days when I heard her go to the door and scratch to be let out to do her business. Not even 3 months old yet!!

Thank you Mistaya for being such a wonderful dog.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

2011-02-14T06:37:00.000-08:00

We hope all of our Blogger freinds have a fun day today.

Give your Humans a big slurpy kiss today!

They deserve lot's of love from us cause they share all there love with us.

Oh...life is good!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

2011-02-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

One day an old German Shepherd starts chasing rabbits and before long, discovers that he's lost.. Wandering about, he notices a panther heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch.

The old German Shepherd thinks, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep doo-doo now!"

Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the panther is about to leap, the old German Shepherd exclaims loudly,

"Boy, that was one delicious panther! I wonder, if there are any more around here?"

Hearing this, the young panther halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees.

"Whew!," says the panther, "That was close! That old German Shepherd nearly had me!"

Meanwhile, a squirrel who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the panther. So, off he goes.

The squirrel soon catches up with the panther, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the panther.

The young panther is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here, squirrel, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!"

Now, the old German Shepherd sees the panther coming with the squirrel on his back and thinks, "What am I going to do now?," but instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old German Shepherd says...

"Where's that squirrel? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another panther!"

Moral of this story...

Don't mess with the old dogs... Age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery!

BS and brilliance only come with age and experience.

Thank you to keewee at http://www.keeweescorner/.

WHERE'S MAGGIE?!!

2011-02-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

I had to go through several rooms today looking for little Maggie.

And I must say by the 4th room I was beginning to get a knot in my stomach.

Had I let her out and forgot about her?

Did she get shut in a closet or a room somewhere in the house?

Had she followed me up those long stairs to my craft studio?..she has never been there!

Then I thought to myself..Oh, I bet she accidentally slid under the couch and feel asleep. There is a type of "skirt" around the bottom of the couch and she may be there on the cool wood floor.

I walked back into the living room and noticed that after my nap on the couch one of the dogs had pulled my pillow down off the couch and into Maggie's bed.

As I turned away from the pillow something made me look back..and I had to laugh at what I saw!

That cute little puppy fell asleep on my pillow and blended in so well that I hadn't even seen her the first time I walked by her on my full house search for her.

It made me laugh but I didn't disturb her. She just looked to darn cute!

Sleep well my little friend.

THIS IS FOR ALL OUR FRIENDS WITH SNOW FALLING LATELY

2011-02-04T16:16:00.000-08:00

OUR PUP DAY AT THE PARK

2011-02-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

We know most of America is suffering from bitter cold, snowy, windy weather lately but we are experiencing beautiful weather here by the sea in the Pacific Northwest.

And we went to the park today!!!

This was Maggie's first big trip out of our yard and she saw many new things.

And it was quite the challenge for her to keep up with Big DogSister.

After awhile she decided she would rather wonder off by herself and explore the things that interested her...rocks, blades of grass, pieces of litter, goose droppings...you know...all the normal puppy fun things.

I don't think she missed a single thing to explore on her great adventure.

And considering her Maggie name is very new to her she was wonderful about running to us when we called when we thought she was to far away.

By the time we arrived home it did not surprise us when we went back into the living room to see what the dogs were up too and found little Maggie sound asleep dreaming about her great adventure.

And I just couldn't bring myself to disturb her when I found her in this odd position. But she did seem comfortable so there she stayed until she finally awoke from her much needed nap.

HOW TO HANDLE YOUR TERRIBLE SNOW WEATHER

2011-02-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

2011-02-02T06:33:00.000-08:00

There were two buddies, one with a Doberman Pinscher and the other with a Chihuahua. The guy with the Doberman Pinscher says to his friend, "Let's go over to that restaurant and get something to eat."

The guy with the Chihuahua says, "We can't go in there. We've got dogs with us."

The buddy with the Doberman Pinscher says, "Just follow my lead."

They walk over to the restaurant, the guy with the Doberman Pinscher puts on a pair of dark glasses and he starts to walk in. The bouncer at the door says, "Sorry, Mac, no pets allowed."

The man with the Doberman Pinscher says, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye-dog."

The bouncer says, "A Doberman Pinscher?"

He answers, "Yes, they're using them now; they're very good and protect me from robbers, too."

The man at the door says, "Come on in."

The buddy with the Chihuahua figures, "What the heck," so he puts on a pair of dark glasses and starts to walk in.

Once again the bouncer says, "Sorry, pal, no pets allowed."

The guy with the Chihuahua says, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye dog."

The bouncer at the door says, "A Chihuahua?"

The man with the Chihuahua says, "A Chihuahua?????? They gave me a Chihuahua?!"

OUR NEW ADDITION!

2011-02-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

M.O.M and M.O.D. have been visiting the local Animal Shelters in our area for a DogSister for me. I have over heard them talking about how I seemed a little depressed and a bit lonely because I didn't have any playmates here in our new neighborhood by the sea.

Well, they came home with this strange little thing they called my new DogSister. Of course I didn't want anything to do with her for the first day. But I must admit she is so darn cute and does so

many of the funniest things that I just couldn't stay mad at her for coming to live with us.

So....here is my DogSister now named Maggie Rose.....

She is some type of Terrier and about 9 weeks old.

And amazingly her life story is very similar to my own. She and her 3 brothers and another older dog...but not the mom dog...were found by some walkers out in the woods above town. They were sure she had not been there very long because the owners had dumped dog food in a pile near the area they were found. And the dog food was still dry...and it rains here often this time of year.

So Maggie Rose was very lucky to be discovered so soon.

A new bed was bought for her and I let her use one of my special dog blankets and a few toys to make her feel at home. She immediately began playing with the toys and seemed very glad to be a member of our little family.

One thing I did notice about her is that she doesn't yet have many lady like manners...as you can see by the photo that M.O.M. caught of her during one of many of her little naps.

But she is so darn cute I can forgive her for her puppy indiscretions!!