I Had a Strange Dream at BlogPaws

A true story...I mean it...

In my dream there was a tea party, and bunnies and, strangely, we were eating Fritos corn chips. I vaguely remember the sky turning overcast...

Then I opened my eyes and saw this:

Well, that explains the Frito aroma, but bunnies and tea parties?!
:)

*****

After decompressing from the bumper-to-bumper traffic we encountered in and around Tyson's Corner, and getting acclimated to the large crowd, the dogs and I had a fantastic (but way too short) time at our first BlogPaws!  There was so much to see and do that I need to save the bulk for tomorrow. (But don't worry, I'll make the words few and the photos big.) :)

In the meanwhile, enjoy a few more BlogPaws bedtime photos of the boys!

But wait, Dewi needs to sit in all the chairs first.


Oh, and then there was the mandatory game of bitey-face...

(Not to be confused, however, with a brawl.)

Next, a thorough scan of the parking lot. (A dog's gotta protect his person.)

And, finally, the all-important bed comfort-check.

Two paws-up from Jon Farleigh. :)

Two pooped pups...

Ready to turn in.

One bed for the dogs and one bed for me. :)

NOT!

It lasted 30 seconds, people.
 First JF was in my bed, and then Dewi started whining to join him. :)
BUT, they slept all night without a peep (or I was too asleep to know otherwise). 

More tomorrow. :) Happy Wednesday!

Do you snark in the park?

What? You think Bert and Ernie never fight?
How come you think they have hair like this?

Earlier this past spring, I published a post titled Do you bark in the park?, a fun recap of a Minor League baseball-filled evening that the dogs, kids and I had attended the night before.

So we did it again last night. It was fun...until Jon Farleigh and Dewi got into a brawl in the stands. Not over a foul ball (which might have been tolerated), but over discarded peanut shells that Youngest Child had been merrily tossing under his seat.

Although I was able to stop the flashing teeth and no one (including the dogs) was physically harmed, I'm pretty sure the incident (understandably) scared the bloody poo out of every other creature within earshot. I was mortified, not at the dogs, but at my inability to see it coming, and desperately wanted to stand up and declare: "No really! They get along fantastically at home!" or "No really! There's no need to gather up your belongings and flee; they're Canine Good Citizens, for goodness' sake! Really!"  But I didn't. Instead, I looked over at Youngest Child (who was unfazed) and his big, foam index finger pointed up to the sky, and then down at the panting dogs...and decided to stay.  The next thirty minutes were then spent trying to make the dogs forget about the peanuts...and each other. I left, defeated, at the start of the seventh inning.

The dogs, in contrast, trotted out amicably, side-by-side, like nothing had ever happened. They were grateful to get in the car and slept peacefully all the way home.

So maybe you're wondering the point of this post. It's not typical of me to post stories of the boys not getting along - in fact, this might be the first time I've ever admitted it. :) Sure, they're BFFs (like Bert and Ernie), but they're dogs, and dogs will be dogs. I suppose I just wanted to make a statement - that even the "sweetest" dogs can be tested if placed in "stressful" situations. What might seem like a perfectly wonderful pastime for humans, might not be equally wonderful for our four-legged friends. I'm obviously still learning how to discern what is and what isn't.

So on that note, anyone want to talk about how you decide whether or not to take your dogs to public events? And if so, what precautions do you take, if any?

*****

P.S. I'm still borrowing computer access, so my responses to comments might be delayed. I also can't post any new photos (of last night's game or BlogPaws - which I still plan on posting about) until I get internet back at home. The cable company says maybe tomorrow...

Hint: I have an easier time posting status updates to the Facebook page than the blog. Maybe you should like us there, if you haven't already? :)

Also, you can see photos - including one wicked adorable one of Dewi - from last night's Bark in the Park at Richmond Pet Lovers.com.

Irene, you are a wench, a tramp and another name for a girl dog!

This picture has nothing to do with this post.
It's all about the mood, friends. :)

Oh, and you suck!

This is NOT the post I had intended for today. :) I have all sorts or pictures and thoughts from BlogPaws to share, but instead, I'm dealing with a bully Irene.

While we (my family) are, thankfully, okay and our Central Virginia home sustained only minor damage during the storm on Saturday, nearly the entire Richmond metro area is still without power, cable (which for me also includes internet and land-line phone). There are massive trees down all over the place - and extensive property damage. It's just plain sad.

So today (on this borrowed, public PC), I'm simply asking you to bear with me and the blog - until our communication lines open back up (and our heads stop spinning). We're taking this day-by-day.

Oh, and if you are also affected by Irene, my thoughts go out to you...

See you all soon!

What are the chances that the dogs'll go unnoticed at Blog Paws?

Because I was kind of hoping to blend into the woodwork. :)

So, let me get this straight. I get to sleep on the bed with you?

Whadda you mean there's no room to play fetch at this place?

While many of you are still hugging your pillows tomorrow, Jon Farleigh, Dewi and I will be motoring two hours north to Blog Paws - a huge (literally and figuratively) pet blogger/social media conference.

It will be the first event (including dogs-in-the-room hotel stay) of its kind for all three of us. The dogs are not one bit concerned (or excited). I, on the other hand - being on the soft-spoken to socially-challenged side, am verging on all sorts of emotions.  And it isn't helping that I just read that there will be 400-or-so humans in attendance and about 60 dogs. (That comes out to about one dog per 6.7 animal-crazed people.) So to answer my own question, there's no way in hades that I'm getting out of being seen with the two low-riders. Oh, well. At least I'll have something to talk about. :)

So I guess the point of this post (because you've all got to be wondering what the heck it is), is that I won't be posting tomorrow. Also, please remember me and the dogs in your thoughts. Thank you. :)

P.S. I should have lots of pictures and stories to share next week.

P.P.S. As of today, "Dwayne" has not obtained press clearance.  :)

Happiness is...when she gets that spot I can't reach at the base of my tail.

That's nice, but could ya move your hand a little farther back?

That's it; gettin' closer.

Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about!

I'm like 99.9999% sure that 99.9999% of all domestic cats do this. All I'm sayin' is that if you're offended by the posture, keep you hands off the booty. :)

By the way, the dogs are just as elated to get their booty scratches on; it's just not nearly as photogenic. :)

Happy rump hump day!

Can you guess who belongs to which collar?

Dewi and Jon Farleigh have been known to slip out of their quick-snap collars on occasion so I recently picked up a couple of martingales (for wearing in open, public spaces, where getting loose could spell b.i.g. d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r.).  The collar manufacturer (Premier) happens to be based locally (and their latest products conveniently sold in the small shop where I buy pet food). So imagine my delight when I discovered these two designs that happen to "fit" Jon Farleigh's and Dewi's personalities (and hair color) perfectly.

Can you guess whose this is? It's red and black and covered with whimsical alternating "my little angel" and "my little devil" doggies. :)

And this one is a deep plum and lime-green paisley pattern, like you might see in a fine, silk smoker's jacket. :)

Gotta wonder whether someone at Premier knows my dogs and where I shop? :)

Oh, and those color-coordinated metal carabiner thingies? They're Rubit! dog tag clips, and I'm testing them out. Once the dogs' tags are attached to the split rings, I'll be able to easily move them from one collar to another (and save my poor, flimsy nails).

Rubit! clip

What about you? Do your dog(s)' collars say anything about them? Do you match collars to your dog(s)' coat color?

P.S. As I was writing this, about 20 minutes ago, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 (centered just NW of here) rocked my house and surrounding Richmond, Virginia (US) metropolitan area. Scary stuff. We are, thankfully, all okay.  Hope you are, too.

The Post Most Likely to have Been Written by Someone Else (aka: I'm Most Proud of this One)

Blog Superlative #5 - Most likely to have been written by someone with a more serious, caring personality. (Please tell me you don't believe that.) :)

(Also known as the post of which I am most proud.)

Not for the writing. Not for the cause (although I am a proud supporter of the cause). Simply because it is the only thing I've ever written about Molly, my heart dog for 15 years. :)

~~~~~

Original publish date: March 15, 2011

So you think you're smarter than a rescued hound mix?

Click Me

In honor of Petfinder's 15th birthday today, I give you my favorite story about my (dearly departed) rescue girl, Molly -- a hound mix who had intellectual prowess.

~ For my husband, who thought he was smarter.

*****

Despite my loud protesting, Molly slept on the floor next to my side of the bed at night. The husband -- being raised in a family whose pet dogs were limited to outdoor living arrangements -- had planted his foot firmly down on the matter. The bed was a dog-free zone. Period. Now since it was my idea to adopt Molly in the first place, leaving the hubby with literally no choice in the matter, I relented to the spouse's request. Molly would sleep on the floor -- that is until we devised a plan.

Our new rental -- a little WWII-era cape cod with a big fenced-in yard -- didn't lend itself well to modern conveniences -- like functional kitchens, closet space or master bedrooms. So each weekday morning the hubby -- who was first to rise -- gathered his belongings and made his way into our one bathroom-with-a-shower off the hallway. It wasn't long after we moved into this house that the both of us (Molly and I) figured out that the hubby's bathroom disappearances meant a good 15 to 20 minutes in which to sneak some much-desired mattress snuggle time. In fact, it didn't take long before Molly recognized the sound of the creaky bathroom door pulling to as her cue to jump up on the bed. She also figured out the precise moment in which she should get back into her own bed -- as if she had never left it in the first place.

I'm not sure what exactly tipped the hubby off to our conspiracy. Maybe he heard the > t h u d < of Molly's 64-pound frame hitting the floor. Or maybe it was that ring of black hair that never seemed to "wash off" my side of the sheets. Well, at any rate, he caught on to us and shortly later gave us a good "talking-to".

So the next morning we were smarter.

This time not only did Molly wait for the creaky bathroom door to pull to, but she waited for the shower to turn on, thus drowning out any sounds that might have given her bedside movement away. And better still, we (Molly and I) had agreed that she would get back on her bed immediately after the shower shut off. It was a fool-proof plan. (Or so we thought.)

I have to give the hubby credit in that he's not completely gullible. Maybe it was the fact that despite his repeated requests that Molly never set paws on the bed, I had stopped trying to persuade him otherwise. After all I had proven to him over and over again that I was no shrinking violet, and furthermore, I was a nag. My uncharacteristic lack of nagging had surely tipped him off.

That one morning, just as she had been doing for weeks, Molly waited until she heard the familiar sound of the shower and then hopped up on the bed beside me. Not five seconds later, however, the bathroom door flew open and out burst the hubby with a loud, "AH HA! I caught you, you sneaky mutt!" So she slithered off the bed like the Grinch on Christmas Eve and we both lie there silently in temporary humiliation.

So the next morning we were smarter. Correction.  Molly was smarter.

When the shower finally turned on we both looked at each other and decided it was just too risky to try. If the hubby had fooled us once, he was sure to try it again. So we waited. And waited a little longer. And when it seemed like just enough time had passed, she stood up, crept out of the room and down the short hall -- stopping just shy of the bathroom door. (It was then that I knew I had adopted the smartest hound on the face of the earth.) Then, with the grace of a long-necked swan, she peeked through the small opening of the bathroom door, confirmed that the hubby was in fact in the shower, and then trotted back for 10 minutes of mommy mattress time.

Several days later I broke down and told the hubby what had transpired that morning (and every weekday morning thereafter). Naturally, he consented to us adding weekends. :)

*****

See the photo up in the left-hand corner? Her name is Kayla and she -- along with several other sweet dogs like her -- is looking for a forever home with help from the Henrico (Virginia) Humane Society. Why not go check her sweetness out, or tell someone about her?

Editor's note: I'm happy to report that Kayla was adopted (although, most likely not thanks to me - but, that's just fine!).

~~~~~

And that, folks, is the last of the superlatives! :) And the end of my kid-free posting binge. (Back to the real world for me.)

If you have a blog of your own, do you have any blog superlatives that you'd like to share?  Then go do it!

Happy Monday!

The Post Most Likely to Cause Spontaneous Bodily Function (aka: My Funniest Post)

Blog Superlative #4 - Most likely to cause spontaneous farts, urination or computer screen ruination.

(Also known as my funniest post.)

Folks, I don't presume to know this. I've never actually lost bodily function control reading or writing my own blog. At least not because it was funny. :) Furthermore, I wouldn't be so proud as to suggest that anyone has even come close to validating the claim in this post - except that a very few of you have told me so. In fact, one of my readers (who shall go unnamed - you know who you are) has even suggested that I show some kindness and provide readers with Depends. (By the way, this person knows all the right things to say.) :)

Well, anyway, all I'm saying is I can't pick my funniest post. So instead, here are a handful of posts (in chronological order) that you, my awesome readers, have either spewed, snorted or nearly peed upon (and later told me about).

•  How to Clean House So Guests Won't Suspect You Own Indoor Dogs
• Funky Town - The Dog Version
• The Importance of Enunciation When Training Your Dog
• Let me tell ya 'bout the butterflies and the bees...and the flowers...and the...huh?
• It's Wordless Wednesday - Lazy Tongues and Half Moons - Sure to Bring Vertical Smiles
• When Dewi Met Georgia (A Red Hot Cardigan Love Story)
•  Life Lessons Learned the Hard Way by Dewi - Fruity Soap

 Oh, and in case you missed Wednesday's post, I understand that one got a few leaks snorts laughs, too. :)

And speaking of leaks pee laughs, I'll close with this photo of Jon Farleigh (and some wisdom from March 3, 2011):

You can pee and you have a nose, but please don't pee on your friend's nose. :-(



....or stick your nose where it doesn't belong!
[Editor's comment: See the yellow stripe? Yeah, Dewi peed on his nose.]

*****

See you Monday with the last Superlative. (I bet you can't wait.)

Hope your weekend is warm and spews with fun! :)

The Post Most Likely to Get Me in Big Trouble with Dog-People (aka: My Most Controversial Post)

Blog Superlative #3 - Most likely to get me reported to the AKC or alienated by every serious dog-person who once followed my blog.

(Also known as my most controversial [or most likely to get me in big trouble] post.)

Okay, I admit it; I don't have any posts that "controversial." However, the post that - moments after pressing the publish button - I immediately regretted and pondered whether to delete - because I just knew I was going to tick off all my new Cardigan breeder friends and never get invited to another Cardi Party again - is this  

(the very first installment in the infamous "Dwayne" series):

Original publish date:  April 19, 2011

Dirty Lowdown Cardigans Gone Wild - Uncensored!

The following blog post has been rated NC-17 (no corgis over 17 admitted). Reader discretion is advised.

As reported by "Dwayne"

(identity changed to protect the doofus)

Cast

Wilson......................................................The Boss

Spencer.............................................The Enforcer

Jimmy.........................................Boss' Understudy

Nick............................................Brother Operative

Sally..............................................Sister Operative
Scout.........................................Worrisome Mama

Dewi........................................Agent Provocateur 

Jon Farleigh..............................................Wiseguy

Extras (not necessarily appearing) from: Lyberty Cardigans, Grangefield Cardigans and the adorable Banjo (the blue merle tween Cardigan)

Continued from Part One

The guests begin to arrive...

Spencer The Enforcer to JF: "I'm bigger than you and I can eat you for lunch."
JF: "I taste like spinach."

Wilson (L): "Whose idea was this anyway?"
Jimmy (C): "Dude, when are the ladies getting here?"
Spencer (R): "Does Dewi look like he's packing heat to you?"

Jon Farleigh: "I'll take a scotch on the rocks. Got any biscuits?"

[patting down Sally]  Dewi: "This job rocks!"

 

Nick to Sally: "I'm telling mom."

Dewi: "WTFudge?!"
Spencer: "Drop your weapon!"
Dewi: "That's not a weapon!"

Spencer: "I swear he was packing heat!"
Wilson: "I need a smoke (ed) knuckle."

[drunk on scotch and biscuits]  "Heh heh, I made pee pee."

Potty Break # 17

Jimmy: "Why don'tcha take a picture; it'll last longer."

Sally to Nick: "Mom always liked me best!"

Nick: "Well mom gave me the best teet!"

(mama) Scout: "I didn't raise them this way."

JF to Wilson: "Man, I'm sure he's packing heat."

Dewi: "WTFudge?!"
Spencer: "You got a license for that?!"

~~~~~ Five-second Nap Break ~~~~~

Nick: "I love you, Sally."
Sally: "You look funny."

Spencer to Wilson: "Did I do good? Huh?
Did I? Did I?"

Wilson to Spencer: "Dude, you're blocking my view of the TV!"

"There's no place like home." [click, click, click]

Until next time...

The Chronicles of Cardigan would like to expressly thank Shirley Hobbs of Grangefield Cardigans for her generous hospitality (and hopefully, her vast sense of humor).

The dogs in this post are real; however, the story is fictional. Any resemblance to your Cardigan Welsh Corgi or real-life events is purely coincidental.

*****
For the record, I'm glad I didn't press delete. :)

Oh, and by the way, remember my "most popular" post from yesterday? The one about Oscar Mayer and Dewi's CGC test? Yeah, well I'm still waiting to get a letter from the AKC, politely "revoking" Dewi's certification. On the other hand, maybe I shouldn't worry so much. :)

Superlative #4 coming up tomorrow!

The Post Most Likely to be Reblogged at The Daily Corgi (aka: My Most Popular Post)

Blog Superlative #2 - Most likely to be reblogged at thedailycorgi.blogspot.com (or any of Laurie's social media satellites).

(Also known as my most popular [the most page hits] post.)

For those of you who aren't familiar, Laurie Eno's blog, The Daily Corgi - which just celebrated its second blog-iversary - is, in my humble description, an international internet staple for Corgi-people (owners and "window-shoppers" alike), both breeds (and mixes) included. Quite simply, if you love corgis, you must bookmark this blog. That being said, when Laurie feels behooved to reblog a corgi photo, video (or, in some cases, an entire corgi-related blog post), the original owner should just go ahead and expect a metaphorical "moment in the sun." I am no exception.

 In fact, Laurie shared (on The Daily Corgi's Facebook page) my top three most popular blog posts ever.

(Lesson: With 6,497 "likes" on Facebook and growing, The Daily Corgi has some serious blog clout. And I'm proud [and grateful] to be associated with it.)

*****

So here it is:

With 398 pageviews (and 20 comments) since its original publish date of June 27, 2011, my most popular post is:

Angel-faced, poop-eating squid-dog is also a Good Citizen (with the help of Oscar Mayer's miraculous powers)

If you read last Friday's post to the end, you might recall that I mentioned the dogs and I would be attending AKC all-breed conformation shows this weekend (as spectators to cheer on Jon Farleigh's sister Georgia). (I also promised photos from the event, which, incidentally, will have to wait until another day because I'm still sorting them out and mulling over them.) Anyway, what I did not mention - because I was chicken - was that Dewi and I would be taking the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test - being offered to the general public - on Sunday afternoon at the show venue.

Some of you - who've been following the blog for a while (at least since February) - might remember that I had a bit of a struggle with Dewi in his Basic Obedience class. But in case this is news to you, let me summarize: Dewi is a brilliant little spaz dog, who loves other dogs and people more than they might love him. On the last day of obedience school, however, under the influence of an Oscar Mayer wiener, he transformed into the obedient dog I paid $90 for him to be, and graduated like a champ.

But enough background.

So at 2:12 p.m. (not that I was cognisant of the exact time) yesterday, Dewi did it again. That is, despite huge odds against him in Vegas (okay, not really, but I wouldn't have bet on him) and in spite of himself (and my huge nerves), he passed. He is a Canine Good Citizen. :) (Yay!)

Now, let me tell you what happened before the test
(remember the test was administered within a dog show venue crammed with hundreds of dogs and people):

1. Dewi dragged me halfway through the parking lot toward the first dog he laid eyes on.
2. Once inside the venue, Dewi continued to pull toward the faces (and butts) of most every dog in our path.
3. I had serious doubts about going through with the test.
4. Dewi spotted a familiar dog (Jon Farleigh's sister) and lost all his marbles.
5. I decided that humor would be the best response to Dewi miserably failing the test. (I might as well give the evaluator a good laugh, no?)
6. Dewi's fairy godmother (aka: Oscar Mayer wiener) popped out of my bag.
7. Dewi temporarily forgot where he was and performed a brilliant sit-stay.
8. I slipped Dewi some fairy dust (courtesy of Oscar Mayer "pharmaceuticals").
9. I repeated #s 7 and 8 several times.
   
   30 minutes and 1.5 wieners later...
   
   
   
   This is Dewi's brain on crack Oscar Mayer wiener.
   
   
10. I plunged my left hand into the wiener baggie and coated it with "Eau de Smoked Hot Dog."
11. I gave Dewi one last hit of crack fairy dust wiener the second before entering the test ring.
12. The test evaluator reminded me of the "no treat" rule and then (somewhat playfully) motioned for me to show him my open palms (which I did). He also (visually) examined my person for pockets/treat dispensing devices.  

So let me just recap
- for those who might have a dog with similar temperament to Dewi and have aspiration to get your dog CGC certified:

• Attend obedience training with your dog.
• While in obedience training, experiment with drugs treats.
• When you find one that makes your dog look at you with the expression in the above photo, stockpile it (if needed) and use it ONLY when you need a miracle from your dog.

 *****

By the way, I am over the moon at the prospect of meeting Laurie in person at the pet bloggers' conference, BlogPaws, in just NINE DAYS! Can you say "Corgi Power?"  ;)

See you tomorrow with Superlative #3!

The Post Most Likely to Make the Hallmark Blog (aka: My Most Beautiful Post)

Blog Superlative #1 -  Most likely to make you wonder whether you've accidentally clicked into the Hallmark company's blog. 
(Also known as my most beautiful post.)

This was an easy choice for me. I only have one beautiful post. :)  Well, unless the photos can qualify on their own, in which case, I have lots (the subjects, not the skills).

Just a bit of background on this post. I still, to this day, don't know what made me stop what I was doing and focus in on Max and his puppy, Sully. Makes me wonder how many moments/opportunities like this go unnoticed/undocumented on any given day. Kind of a thinker, huh? :)

Originally posted on June 6, 2011...

The Perfect Fit

I have lots of (unfortunately, mediocre because the simultaneous shade and bright sun confounded my brawny, yet simple-minded camera) photos from Jon Farleigh's dad Sam's 13th birthday party yesterday -- BUT, I'm saving the bulk of them to show you on another day this week. One photo, however, tells a profound story that simply refuses to reside on my hard drive for one more day.

*****

While most of us were busily reacquainting ourselves with our own dog(s)' red Cardigan Corgi relatives, there was a young boy (I'll say about 12) taking a Sunday car ride with his family.
Not just any car ride, though. It was a ride that quite probably had deprived him of sleep the night before - but not in a bad way.
It was a ride that on any other day might have seemed short, or routine, or maybe even a nuisance. But not this day.
No, on this day, the ride lasted hopelessly FOREVER - until that last mile or so, when his mind-racing anticipation caused all the colored details outside the car windows to swirl together like a giant lollipop!

[short, shallow breathing]

Then -- just like that!
The boy and his family had arrived at their destination - where they had been told to look for all the "older" red Cardigans - who might all look uncannily alike. That's how they'd know they were in the right place.

The young boy was about to meet his puppy.

The puppy was about to meet his boy.

[exhale]

I wonder how he knew?

I think maybe it could've been that the boy's hand and thigh, and the puppy's head - just like the slipper and Cinderella's foot - were a perfect fit.

*****

P.S. The Cardigan puppy in the photo is Sully, and Sully is with his new boy. I edited this priceless photo at fotoflexer.com, using Retro and Cross-Process effects, respectively.

~~~~~

To see my second favorite "beautiful" photo, click HERE.

And be sure to stop by tomorrow for Superlative #2!

My Five to Seven Blog Superlatives (or posts, which in my opinion, are super-something)

Since I'm already being selfish this week, I've decided to go ahead and throw in some narcissism, too. :)

But before you roll your eyes and click the "x" at the top, right corner of your screen, please hear me out.

So there's a blogger challenge weaving its way through the sphere called My 7 Links. I'm not listing the "rules" here because I'm blatantly not following them. Not to diminish them in any way, as I've read several legitimate, beautifully written and informative posts out there, like Kim's and Pamela's and Kristine's.

It's just that I have a burning desire to share some of my "super" posts with you (well, that and I might be too busy to write anything "new" this week) and, frankly, waiting for an "invitation" just isn't one of my strengths. That and I'm just a tad rebellious. (So rebellious that I'd choose to wear the most religious [aka: holey] underwear in the drawer just to "show" my mother, and the police officer who found my crumpled body after the crash, that I couldn't care less about how skanky I looked on the stretcher.)

But where was I?

Oh yes, so starting tomorrow (as I've already challenged your attention span for today), and through Friday (or maybe early next week), I will be reposting (from the archives) my

MOST SUPER POSTS EVAH

 (IMO, not necessarily yours), as follows:

• Most likely to make you wonder whether you've accidentally clicked into the Hallmark company's blog.
• Most likely to be reblogged at thedailycorgi.blogspot.com (or any of Laurie's social media satellites).
• Most likely to get me reported to the AKC or alienated by every serious dog-person who once followed my blog.
• Most likely to cause spontaneous farts, urination or computer screen ruination.
• Most likely to have been written by someone with a more serious, caring personality.

*****

So there you have it. Aren't you glad my kids are away for the week!?!

Happy Monday!

(Oh, and a token dog photo - for those of you who just skipped over everything I just wrote.) :)

Quick! Run for the hills!

Time to Cut It Back (Butt! Butt!...)

Remember Jon Farleigh's summer cut?

Well, to refresh your memory, here was his freshly shorn butt then (early May):

And today:

Corgi Butt or Longwool Sheep? :)

Not that I don't adore laying eyes (and hands) on this virtual "squeeze magnet," it's just that it's starting to get "in the way" (if you know what I mean). :)

And speaking of cutting back (please, no one panic), Jon Farleigh, Dewi and I are taking a blog-cation tomorrow, as we'll be detained in the car for several hours - without so much as a laptop or cellular access.

(Truth: The laptop has a broken monitor and I only just recently upgraded to a texting phone - which having texting kids necessitated - and I still refuse to get a data plan since I'm already on the interwebs way too much.)

And next week?

Well, please don't mention this to my kids, but being that they'll be away visiting their grandparents for the whole week, and I'll be here with no one to clean up after (except the pets), I'M HAVING A "THIS-IS-WHAT-IT-FEELS-LIKE-WITH-NO-KIDS-AT-HOME" PARTY!!

What I'm trying to say is, the blog might be devoid of fresh material - since I'll be having way too much fun being selfish. :D

I've got an idea for some interesting archive posting, though.

Stay tuned. :)

For now, please enjoy my parting gift to you: More of Jon Farleigh and his glorious coat!

The End :)