[Sound Siren] Special Canine Weather Bulletin...Hurricane Joaquin Edition

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 passing of that jerkface Joaquin.

Hurricane #Joaquin watch. pic.twitter.com/uEsGCQNMOp

— Flama (@theFlama) September 30, 2015

[Begin interruption]

Me (from off camera): BOYS?

Boys: Yeah, ma?

Me: Hurricane Joaquin is not that man. It's not a man at all; it's a storm. The picture is a joke.

Boys: Like us in these raincoats?

Me: JK! Hurricane Joaquin is TOTALLY that man!

Boys: Uh, oh kay?

[End interruption]

Geez, how rude. *sigh*
So, where were we? Oh, yeah...JOAQUIN! So he's like this big giant man-head way out in the ocean, and he's swimming north and, as many of you know, is expected to pass right by where a bunch of us live, making this HUGE wake and splashes that might rain down on top of us and the mountains and make the rivers and stuff overflow. See?

And all this commotion and splashing is making all the humans scramble to buy all the bread, milk, eggs, ice and batteries within a million miles, because the peeps are worrying about THIS:

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, we will also be working part-time as human foot warmers.

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

* Our power outage survival 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. 

Dewi, why does your jacket seem like it repels water better than mine?

Because, bro, I'm Batman.

☺

Be safe, y'all! (For real! Be prepared; flooding is NO joke.)

Notes:

• The Hurricane Sandy version of this canine weather bulletin was published previously.
• Apologies to Joaquin Phoenix.
• To the beautiful people of the Bahamas, who will surely suffer great loss due to this storm, you are in our hearts and prayers. 

[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!

A Red Dog's Unlikely, Life-Saving Purpose

You might remember that I recently read and reviewed the book, A Dog's Purpose. In the book, the dog (over the course of several lives and many life lessons) determines (he's a thinker) that he's been ultimately placed on this earth to love and protect his "boy" Ethan.

Well, as usually the case after I read something so thought-provoking, I've been wondering about my own pets - how I came to know them, lessons they've taught me, life choices they've influenced - and I can't help but agree with Cameron: There is a purpose. They all (pets, I mean) have a purpose (or many). But unlike in the book (which is fictional), our pets can't spell it out for us; we are left, if we choose, to figure it out on our own. 

And I, for one, am blown away whenever I make the connection between a pet (not necessarily my own) and a life-road traveled.

Take one particular red dog (who, by the way, has a whole tapestry of purposes, but I'm just going to cover one particular thread in this example). I'll start in the present and work my way backwards, so you can clearly see the connection.

• July 3, 2012: Elizabeth returns her three healthy foster kittens to the Richmond SPCA, so they can be spayed/neutered and placed for adoption.
• May 25, 2012: Elizabeth picks her three 5-week-old foster kittens up from the (no-kill) Richmond SPCA, freeing up space for three other homeless infant kittens who might not otherwise have survived.
• Over the course of the last 18 months: Elizabeth is heavily influenced by other bloggers who write about their animal fostering experiences.
• Spring 2011: Elizabeth first becomes aware (through a blog post at RichmondPetLovers.com, a site she had never visited before starting this blog) of the urgent need for kitten fostering volunteers (during kitten season) at the Richmond SPCA.
• December 2010: Elizabeth quietly launches The Chronicles of Cardigan with a very silly holiday card. 
• Fall 2010: Elizabeth has a burning desire to write about her experiences with young Jon Farleigh and Dewi, and is influenced and encouraged by the network of other Cardigan Welsh Corgi bloggers, particularly Red Dog Mom at Life with The Horde.
• March 2010: Elizabeth (and family) meet wee puppy Jon Farleigh, his mama Lucy, daddy Sam, breeder Liz and Sam's human mom, Dina [aka Red Dog Mom] for the first time.
• January 1, 2010: Jon Farleigh and his five littermates are born to red dog mama, Lucy, and (by proxy) red dog daddy, Sam.
• Several years prior: Red Dog Mom becomes a "red dog" mom for the first time, with the addition of Sam (JF's future daddy).
• May 31, 1998: Ch Yardican Roland ROMb (Sam) is born (in Finland - yes, the country).

Isn't it amazing how some things work out?

A kitten life-saver, he is.

And, there will be more (lives saved), because I'm not done fostering. :)

Sam
(Good Dog, Friend to Homeless Kittens)

May 31, 1998 - June 30, 2012

:-)

(Note: There will be no blog post tomorrow. See you Wednesday.)

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.

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.

Eva's Debut on Richmond Pet Lovers (dot) com

On this last day of adopt-a-shelter-cat month, Eva (pictured sunning her spoiled self above) has agreed to make a guest appearance over at Richmond Pet Lovers (dot) com's blog. (Note: She is a hard gig to book.)

Why not pop on over there, hear her out and maybe shoot her some fan mail?

Do you Bark in the Park?

How about the ballpark?

Jon Farleigh and Dewi do (dooweedoo - hee hee), thanks to Richmond, Virginia's very own Minor League Baseball team, the Flying Squirrels, who hosted Bark in the Park at the Diamond last night.

Yes, much to our relief, the threatening black rainclouds steered just clear of the ballpark and allowed hundreds of human and canine fans (including us) to enjoy a perfect evening celebrating a favorite American pastime. And as promised, here's the photographic evidence.

"Dewi, check it out. There's dogs everywhere."

"Why are you up there when you could be under here?"

"You rock, Mom!"

"I detect chemicals in my nose that make me want to have some of that, urgently, PLEEEZ."

"It's not easy being this good looking."

"Safe?!! Dude, did you get your glasses from 'Poor Eyes'?"

FREE doggie ice cream from Rita's. Dewi ate his and then stole another dog's later. Really.

The view below us.

If you look closely, you will see the team from Richmond PetLovers .com (on the right in the red T's). I'm 99.999 percent sure Sarah (of the blog) is seated on the far right. (I have met her once in person.)

And this is Yours Truly with a Dewi-dog growing out of her face.  :)

Do you follow Layne's awesome blog named for her adorable dogs, Banjo and Millie?

We were lucky enough to meet all of them in person at the game, and we hadn't even planned it!

Layne, her husband and her doggies are super nice (and so very well-behaved). (What? Are you surprised that Layne was behaved?) :)

See how nicely Banjo and Millie are sitting? I, on the other hand, am having a bit of trouble with my boys.

"Okay, quickly, take the photo while I have them in this here choke hold!"

(Notice the looks on JF's and Dewi's faces. It should be a crime to have this much fun.)

Layne, her husband, Banjo and Millie, it was great meeting you!

Now, I'm curious. Are there any other professional baseball teams that sponsor similar dog-friendly game nights? Please tell!

Antlers taste good! Bully sticks smell good!

Note: I did not eat an antler and happen to think bully sticks are a far cry from fragrant. The title is, therefore, based solely on my observation of Jon Farleigh and Dewi. People should not eat this stuff, okay?

Have you ever played along with the Wordless Wednesday: Caption Contest at Richmond Pet Lovers Blog? We did and wound up winning the March drawing for a $25 gift certificate to BestBullySticks! (Especially cool since we are bent on never winning anything.)

We received our "free" $25-worth of stuff yesterday.

As you might guess, BestBullySticks sells lots of bully sticks, but they also sell lots of other doggie treats and stuff, like deer antlers for safe chewing.

Size Large, sold for $10 each (on sale)

I was really excited about getting to try the antlers since they're usually expensive (compared to raw bones and rawhide) and I've never been able to justify spending the extra cash. I ordered two in the Large size (about 5" long), and as you can see, one of them is nearly gone after only one day! Jon Farleigh went to town!

So obviously, he loved it, but although there was no mess and I didn't notice him being able to break potentially dangerous chunks off, for the money, I'd expect this chew treat to last a good while longer. (BTW - Dewi enjoyed his antler, too, but he's not nearly the chewer that Jon Farleigh is.)

Antlers contain mineral-packed marrow and are great for teeth and gum health.

Confession: Ever since I discovered what a "bully stick" actually is, I've been less than thrilled about purchasing them for my dogs. [gulp] But, since these were "free," I decided to give them a try. Correction: I decided to let the dogs try them - which they haven't yet. They have to finish the antlers first. [gulp]

I opted for two of the 6" odor-free braids.

Since I've never given them to my dogs before, I can't vouch for this, but I have heard that bully sticks smell really bad, especially when all slimy-like.  That's why I went with the odor-free variety, although they still smell slightly funky to me.

If any indication, JF and Dewi could smell them from across my kitchen and came running to investigate.

They look healthy enough.  [double gulp] 

This was in the box, too. Ahem.

Eyes on me, not the antler.

"Give. me. NOW!"

Practicing resource guarding "leave it" skill.

Dewi putting his foot down (literally) to claim his remnant.

"How exactly am I supposed to chew this now?"

(Don't tell Dewi, but I think the remnant might be trash can bound since it could be a choking hazard.)

Hope everyone has a terrific Wednesday (no bull)!

P.S. If the weather cooperates, we're taking the dogs to Bark in the Park night at The Diamond today. Yes, in the stands at a local Minor League baseball game, complete with a Flying Squirrel mascot. I must be crazy. Photos later.