[Sound Siren] Special Canine Weather Bulletin...

Good evening. Jon Farleigh and Dewi here with a special weather bulletin.

As you might know from other, less canine news sources, we (along with millions of other East Coast dogs) are sitting here like rubber ducks, waiting for the uninvited arrival of that haint called Sandy.

No, not this Sandy (our once foster kitten)...

And certainly not her kick-butt namesake (who lives under the sea with the square pants-wearing sponge)...

image source

No, it is that giant, whirling hag in the sky, who (just like her heinous cousin Irene) is making all the humans scramble to buy all the bread, ice and batteries within a million miles, because she is threatening to do THIS:

unaltered image source

So, we would just like to remind you (so that you do not worry about our stubby-legged selves AND can take immediate precautions - as needed - for your own whatever-sized-legged selves) that we are prepared with our (previously published at Richmond Pet Lovers.com)...

EMERGENCY 24-HOUR DOG'S GUIDE TO SURVIVING A POWER OUTAGE*.

Please also take note that in the event we have to use this guide (which means we will also be working part-time as human foot warmers), our regular bloggings will become (temporarily) less regular.

Please refer to your other (less canine) news sources for current inclement weather information.

*Our guide has only been tested one time, on us, and might not be entirely appropriate for your current electrical (or life) situation. Does not apply to cats. 

Hey, why is your jacket more water repellent than mine?

Because, brother. I'm Batman.

;-)

Be safe, everyone!

Look a'here! We donated today's post...

...an invaluable guide to surviving a power outage - from a dog's perspective - to our local community!

Because taking back a donation is rude, please go see it at Richmond Pet Lovers (dot) com. No gasoline necessary! 

Dewi: Dude, get up here and smile; the mini-peeps are coming.

They're Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Not Pembrokes, or How I Exploited My Dogs at Our First BlogPaws

In case you missed my last five or six posts, I am an introvert and I attended BlogPaws with my two dogs. 

Now that we're all on the same page, let me explain how that's related to dog exploitation: I USED MY DOGS' CUTENESS TO AVOID TALKING ABOUT ME (and I highly recommend it).

[in the elevator] Me: Alright, boys, like we rehearsed in the car: look cute, wiggle your butts and wait to be invited up.

For fun, here are a few (Corgi) topics that I happily discussed (sometimes more than once), instead of boring stuff about me:

• Yes, they are Corgis.

  
  
• They have tails because they're actually Cardigans, not Pembrokes. The Queen has Pembrokes (with no tails).

  
  
• Cardigans have tails and Pembrokes don't (unless they're born with them and the owner doesn't dock). But you don't need to worry about that - it's confusing. Just forget I said that, for now.

  
  
• No, he's not mixed with Australian Shepherd; he's a Cardigan Corgi with a blue merle coat. Pembrokes (the Corgis with no tails) don't come in merle (although they can be blue - but I kept that to myself).

  
  
• Yes, Cardigans shed just as much as Pembrokes. Whatever your friend told you about shedding, multiply that times 10,000 and that's how much dog hair you'll get off one Corgi (either breed) in a year (or less). 

  
  
• No, he's not mixed with Sheltie, he's what Corgi people call a fluff or fluffy. It's simply a double-recessive coat-length gene. He's otherwise all Corgi. Well, it's a cosmetic fault in the breed standard (not a good all-weather "herding" coat) and prevents him from being shown. Yes, I agree, I think he's lovely, too. :)

  
  
• They are Cardigan Welsh Corgis. A mouthful, yes. The other breed is called Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Just remember Cardigans always have tails. Yes, Cardigans have tails. Yes. Really, you think you have the breed names straight? That's great because it took me two years.

  
  
• Well, you're right. Yes, Corgis' legs are short because they were bred to drive cattle and the short legs helped them roll out of the way of kicking hooves. Yes, they are quite agile (and fearless) little dogs.

  
  
• If properly socialized with them, Corgis are great with cats. No, they don't have that kind of prey drive; they might try to herd a cat, but not eat it for lunch.

  
  
• They are actually two completely separate breeds. Cardigans are related to the German teckel dog (what would later produce the Dachshund) and Pembrokes to the Flemish spitz. 

Okay, I think you get the picture. I had plenty to talk about. And no one asked me about barking or energy levels, by the way, because that was self-evident. Refer here or here.

Dewi: Well you might be a better kisser, but I'm stinkin' cute!

And then it was time to beat Irene home.

I got to meet a few more people on Saturday morning (while browsing around the sponsor exhibits) and bade a fond farewell to Laurie, but then it was time to hit the highway (straight into the path of Irene, the menacing trollop).

Hey, we don't feel any storm comin', you silly. Who's Irene, anyway?

We made it home in record time (because traffic was thin and we beat the storm, not because I broke the law, not by much, anyway). We even enjoyed seven hours of electricity when we got there!

Thanks, BlogPaws organizers and sponsors, for a wonderful time!

It was great meeting you, new (and previously unseen) friends!

'Til next time...

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!