Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Wahooooooooooo!!!!

Guess what?!!
Oh, I'm not going to write a big huge long introduction to make you sit in anticipation. I'm too excited for that!!!!
I just received a confirmation email this afternoon saying that I have received an unconditional offer into the University of Edinburgh for the MSc program in Performance Psychology.
that's right. I'm going back to school in September and I already have a huge idea for my dissertation that I will have to write at the end of the program. I'll leave that for another time though, as I am so excited I can hardly sit still.
I am off to celebrate!!!!!

Puppy Food Debate

There seems to be a lot of discussion  surrounding dog health and nutrition these days. I personally enjoy learning about the different ideas and forms of feeding. I make my decisions on what to feed Glacier and Roscoe based on what I think the most logical argument is and how well the boys react to a specific food.
One branch of this debate I have not explored very thoroughly is,
What do you feed puppies?
There are so many options on the market these days that it's hard to know what's good and what isn't. You read the labels and interpret them the best you can and hope you're doing the right thing. Nutrition is so important for growth and you don't want to make a decision that could potentially hurt your new fur baby. How do you decide?
On the raw diet side of the argument some would say that it is not a good diet for puppies because their food has to be perfectly balanced to ensure that the baby is receiving the correct amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates to thrive. I have read that a raw diet shouldn't be fed to puppies until they are six months old.  It could be argued that a raw diet may not meet the puppy's needs. Some have also argued that raw fed puppies turn out to be smaller in stature, again, due to the missing nutrients.
On the other hand, the argument for a raw diet applies here as well. People argue that dogs ate this way in the past and it is the best for them. Puppies would eat regurgitated food that the Mama wolf brought back to the den. So, in that sense,  were the puppies really eating truly raw food? It would be more like partially digested. So, is raw a good way to go with a baby?
There's also the option of feeding a puppy a commercial kibble that is specific to puppies. These foods are higher in fat, calcium and phosphorus which are necessary for puppies to grow up big and healthy. The manufacturers claim that these foods are formulated for your puppy and have everything they could possibly need.
That argument could be questioned as a lot of puppy foods contain corn and soy. Neither of which your puppy needs.
Some would argue that puppies shouldn't eat puppy   food at all and that a well balanced, commercial adult kibble is the way to go.
It is thought that the higher amounts of calcium and phosphorus cause growth problems in the puppies. These minerals cause the puppy to grow too fast, leading to structural and skeletal problems.
So. how do you know what's best?
Trial and error I suppose, but trial and error could have greater consequences for a growing puppy.
If I select a food that doesn't agree with Glacier or Roscoe, the worst thing that could happen is that they become stinky, their coat starts falling out  like crazy and they may have diarrhea. Whereas, if I select the wrong food for a puppy who is growing, she could end up under developed or with health problems. Sometimes I wish I didn't know all of the things I knew about dog nutrition and could just go buy a reasonably priced bag of food and be satisfied that my puppy liked it.
How do you choose your dog's/puppy's food? What do you feed him/her?

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Fighting the Winter Blues

Have you ever noticed  that February and March seem to be extra long months? At least, they tend to be for me. It's kind of funny though, considering February is actually a few days shorter than any month in the year. Maybe that's for a reason? With all of that in mind, I've come up with five easy ways to fight the winter blues. These have worked for me, maybe they could be helpful for you; that is assuming you can't wait for spring and feel kind of blah.
1. Go for a walk. I know, it's cold out and the snow is melting or falling, usually it can't quite decide which, but get out and exercise. It is so strange how one walk can improve mood and level of productivity. Most of you who  read my blog are dog lovers and have a few of the four legged creatures running about your homes. Take them too: they'll thank you for it. And if you can't quite convince yourself that YOU need the walk, then do it for your dog. You will   be amazed at how much good,  just twenty minutes of stretching your legs can do.
2. Make yourself feel special; treat yourself. I'm not saying go out and blow a whole bunch of cash, I mean, who can really do that these days? But, invest in a great smelling shampoo a deep conditioning treatment, a new fruity smelling lotion. Hop in the shower and spend some quality time making your hair shine. Even turn some music on. I'm always surprised how good I feel after I've used a new shampoo or lotion. Sometimes I even get excited about trying new toothpaste. If it's not body care products that floats your boat, then find something inexpensive that does. Maybe you like fuzzy socks or a new brew of coffee you can enjoy in the mornings. I find getting up in the morning is more exciting when I know I've got a new coffee to try or a new flavor of yogurt to eat. Did I ever mention the simple things in life make me happy?
One of my best friends was recently working from home and she was finding it dull and boring. So, to keep her spirits lifted, she wore a fancy bra under her "stay in" clothes. No one else knew she had purple with lace under her sweatshirt, but she sure did and it made all the difference for her.
3. Find a way to make yourself feel decadent.    Again, we're on a budget right? So, find an inexpensive way to do this. Just the other day I bought a dark chocolate bar with sea salt and snapped a small square off with my breakfast this morning. Sure, probably not recommended by the health food people in the world, but tasty. I've also made myself a lavender foot soak that I plan on using after today's run. Not overly  extravagant, but it's got a "at the spa" feel without paying through the nose for such a treatment.
4. Find a fuzzy creature and hug it. It sounds so simple and a bit ridiculous to actually make an effort because you probably hug your pets without thinking about it, but the benefits of having/squishing pets are enormous. As I write this, Glacier is curled up with his side pressed against my leg and just the warmth of him is comforting. My friends don't have pets because their landlord doesn't allow them and so come over for "fuzzy therapy," as we call it. I've heard them say on multiple occasions that they had a bad day and just needed some Glacier or Roscoe love. Taking the time to be aware of your snuggling makes all the difference.
5. Get a puppy! Oops...that just slipped out. That's not really what I meant to say. Ignore that.
and
5. Do something that allows you to have "you" time. Sometimes we get all wrapped up  in the day to day and forget to be alone for a few minutes. There is nothing wrong with being by yourself. In fact, it can be quite healthy as it allows you to unwind and be fresh for when you see your family and friends. Your alone time could be spent anywhere doing anything really.  Sometimes my alone time is going out for a coffee by myself or it's finding a quiet spot in my flat and reading my book. My best friend lives in a flat with three other people and so being alone is a rare occasion. To combat this problem, she puts her headphones on and goes for a walk; giving herself time to decompress and be on her own. Whatever you choose to do, enjoy your time and never feel guilty when you need to take "five" for yourself.
This by no means is a comprehensive list and I am sure there are a lot of different things that people do to combat the winter blues. It's just a few things I do to make February and March not seem so long.
What are some of the things that help you through the winter?

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A Wee Break

Hello to you wonderful people. Glacier and I are going to take  a wee break from blogging. With the excitement of the big PAWTY, our creative writing skills have dried up a bit. I will announce how much was raised for Dog Foster Mom upon our return. I am just waiting for a donation from a friend who doesn't have a blog but wanted to contribute to our cause. Our break shouldn't be more than a few days. We were given three awards, plus our certificate for winning Mango Minster Working Stiffs has also been sent to us. So, all of these exciting things will be talked about as well.
See everyone soon.
hugs

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Kissing Booth Results

As requested by the handsome Garth Riley, I have compiled a list of those pups who received kisses in the Kissing Booth and how many. Each girl was given a kiss by Sarge as he wanted to make sure everyone felt included and his bestest girl, Zona, followed in his pawsteps. She bestowed a kiss on every boy in The Kissing booth. The list of names below are the Kissables who received kisses beyond these "1 a piece" via Sarge and Zona. Zona and Sarge's kisses have been included in the tally of the Kissables below. Confused yet? Basically, there was a lot of kissing going on in Blogville. :)
***

Kisses:
Amber: 11
Shasta: 2
Nola: 3
Baloo: 5
Jack: 5
Wyatt: 2
 Bella: 12
Glacier: 3
Rogue: 2
Canyon: 2
Sky: 3
Roscoe: 3
Jetta: 8
Sumi: 2
Hades: 2
Ziggy: 3
Ronnii and Mr. Pip: 1
Maggie Mae: 3
***
The amount of funds raised for Dog Foster Mom's privacy fence will be announced in the upcoming days. I am waiting on three anonymous donations before I reveal the full amount.
Again, I want to thank every last one of you for your support. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, you guys are amazing!
PS: Thank you to Sarge for generously donating his raffle prize-the Mighty Lion-to Dog Foster Mom's foster dogs. :)
PPS: Mango Minster 2012 voting is still open until 5 PM EST. There a lot of deserving critters competing for Best in Show. Please go over and vote for your favourite. :)

Pawsome Winners of Pawsome Raffle Prizes!

Hello again, Blogville. I am back to announce the winners of our wonderful Raffle prizes that were so generously donated by a myriad of dog specific companies and every day people.
The response to the raffle prizes was astonishing and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for purchasing so many tickets. All of the funds we have raised through this event will go towards helping Dog Foster Mom build her much needed privacy fence and every ticket you bought helped us with this goal.
Thank you so much!
***
The winners were selected by Glacier himself. I placed the names of each participant on the tickets for the item they wished to win, placed those in a bowl and had Glacier pull them out. This was an interesting method, but we have the results for you.
Are you ready?!
***
Classic Kong + Mini Kong key chain: The winners of this prize are some great members of Blogville and some serious PAWTY animals. One even ended up in the punch bowl. Do you know who I am talking about?
Congratulations Amber Daweenie and Max Daodder Weenie for winning the Classic Kong! Please have your mom email me so I can get your address. :)
***
Our next item was the beautiful hand dyed scarf from the Scottish artist, H Gibson. Blogville probably doesn't know the winner of this item, but I do. It's Glacier's Grandma (AKA my Mom Sophia).
Congratulations Mom! I don't need your address. I lived there!
***
Our next item was our most popular prize and one little fellow was very convinced that he must win it. The funny thing is, his purchase of 15 tickets for the Kong Wobbler paid off.
Congratulations Baloo! You are the new owner of a Kong Wobbler and your new Mama gets the Mini Kong key chain. (Are you listening to me Mr.! It is a key chain! You get the Kong Wobbler and your new Mama gets the key chain. It is not for you, okay)?
***
The Mighty Lion was won by a very mighty dog. I know he'll have hours of fun with it. Maybe he'll share with his bestest girl?
Congratulations Sarge! If you are anything like Glacier and Roscoe, you will get plenty of use out of the Mighty toy line. Please have your mom email me with your address so I can mail you your prize.
***
The Valentine's Gift pack is going to a very deserving fellow, who works tirelessly for Blogville. He was one vigilant guy at the PAWTY, making sure the closet wasn't occupied and mopping up things that needed mopping. This pack should help him unwind. Perhaps he'll be willing to share with his puppy?
Congratulations Mr. Mayor Frankie!
 I'll need your address too please
.***
The humans definitely need to unwind after that PAWTY as much as the critters do. Our next winner won the hand made bath salts and soap; fragrance to be determined by the winner.
Congratulations to Garth Riley's mom! Please email me so we can discuss your fragrance preference and also so I can get your address.
***
Also for the humans, a print made by H Gibson of a cat and dog. Perhaps Shasta would like to hang this on her palace wall?
Congratulations to the Team Beagle Bratzs' mom! Please email me so I can send you your prize.
***
Last but   certainly not least is the Ultimate Tug Ring, a favourite in our house. This toy will give the winners hours and hours of fun. Roscoe may want to come visit the winner, not only to play with the Ring, but because he thinks the winner is very pretty.
Congratulations to Maggie Mae and Max.
***
And so, these are the pawsome winners of the Pawsome raffle prizes. Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. You guys are great!!!!!
PS: Please email me at:
purple DOT tidalwave AT gmail DOT com with any questions and your addresses.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Announcing PAWTY King and Queen Winners!

Hello beautiful citizens of Blogville. I want to start this post by thanking everyone out there for all your support and participation in the Valentine's Day PAWTY. The event was huge and it wouldn't been so without you guys! I really appreciate all of your posts, comments, assistance and donations. It was my first ever Blogville event and I really wasn't sure how it would go, but you people-and critters-are amazing and this event was more than I could have dreamed. Words cannot really adequately capture how grateful I really am. You guys rock!
Now, I am sure you are all waiting to find out who your Valentine's Day King and Queen(s) are? Yes, I said "Queens."
You voted and there was a tie between two lovely Ladies and when put to the question of whether or not to have two queens, Blogville said "yes." So, that is how it will go for Valentine's Day 2012.
To be honest, the race for Queen and King titles was incredibly tight and we almost had six winners, with just one vote separating them all.
I'd like to give Sarge and Zona an honourable mention as they nearly won the competition and were barely beat out by our three winners.
Congratulations to Sarge and Zona for being the runners up for Valentine's Day King and Queen 2012!!!!!!!
As I said, the three winners were ahead of Sarge and Zona by only one vote. When I saw the results, I considered knocking out two of the winners and replacing them with Sarge and Zona, but you voted Blogville, so I left it alone. Politics wouldn't be politics without some tampering? ;)
Without any further rambling by me...
The first Queen of Valentine's Day 2012 is Shasta from
Team Beagle Bratz!
I think her adorable photo won everyone over. :)
Congratulations Shasta!!!!!!! I know you will rule Blogville Valentine's Day with grace and beauty and a gentle paw.
The second Queen of Blogville Valentine's Day 2012, is my very own Jetta.
I'm not sure where all of the votes for Jetta, a retired guide dog and Senior citizen, came from, but I know she will be thrilled to find out she is Co-Queen with the lovely Shasta.
She will be a great ruler because of the years under her collar; so to speak.
And, who is the lucky guy who gets to rule Blogville Valentine's Day 2012 with these two incredible Ladies?!
Well...erm, the winner of Valentine's Day King 2012 is...
GLACIER!
*Now do you see why I was going to knock off two of the winners? LOL*.
Glacier is a goofy guy with a big heart and I know he will be honoured to rule Blogville Valentine's Day 2012 with Queen Shasta and Queen Jetta.
So, there you have it!
Our three Royals for 2012. Since Blogville is a democracy, if anyone would like to have a re-vote (minus Queen Shasta, who is solidly planted on her Valentine's Day throne), speak now or forever hold your peace.
Congratulations to the winners! :)

Vote Fur Glacier

Remembers my very excitin' news yesterday?!
I shall reminds you.
I entered Mango Minster 2012 the Working Stiffs category and was given the honour of first place by the beautiful Miss Bunny.
Oh, what an honours. I am still very excited.
Wells, nows, the Best in Show pawt of the competition is opening up fur votes and I, Glacier, needs your help. If you go to visit
The Mango and The Mango Mama
around noon EST, the voting polls wills be open. You can leave a comment in the comment section of the postie about Best in Show, sayin' that you votes fur me, Glacier; just in case you furgots who I was. Comment moderation has been enabled so the votes are anonymous. So, you only has to vote fur me once and don't have to worry bouts people's knowin' you picked me. I don't knows why you would wants to hide it since I am...wells, you knows,... but, just in cases you do.
Go on over around noon and read all of the wonderfuls entries. There are so many fantabulous contestants to pick froms. So, vote fur who you thinks should win-ahem, erm, Glacier-so, make sures you read everyone's entries.
Happy votin'!
PS: Speakin' of votin', my girl will be back later to announce our Valentine's Day Queens and King!

Friday, February 17, 2012

I won!?

Helllllloooooooo everyone! Glacier here and I am so very excited.
Did I mention that I ams very excited?
Yes, excited.
The very honourable and beautiful Miss Bunny picked me! Who would have thoughts? I'm just a big goofy guy who loves his job and Miss Bunny thoughts that that was impressive enoughs to let me win Mango Minster 2012 Working Stiffs category.
Oh, soooooooooooo excited.
If you wants to read bouts it, you can go
here.
I am so excited I ams speechless. I knows! Me speechless. That nevers happens.
Nows, Mango told me that I need to write something  else bouts me so that people can vote for Best in Show. I don't knows all bouts that. There is some very impressive competition, but I am goings to try my bestest  'cause that's what I do!
Fur now thoughs, I'm goin' to be celebratin'!
Are there any of those martinis left from the PAWTY?!
Cheers!!!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

After The PAWTY

Good mornin' Blogville. I hopes everyone slept a lot after the PAWTY. I knows I did. Miss Nola had me dancin' all night long! Hers is a great dancer! I knows Roscoe needed some extra sleep after dancin' all night with Maggie Mae. They looked so goods together, didn't they?
Wells, actually, everyone looked so goods! Did you see the corsage  that Sarge picked out fur Zona?Sasha and Remington, Puddles and Max, Shasta and Shiloh with their two dates, Benny and Lily, Mayzie and Casey, Amber and her two dates Chip and Thai...so many beautiful Blogville couples! We even had some kitty furriends come too! Did you see Nelly? That cat's got the moves. My girl was impressed that even Jetta, bein' a young 11, chose to come out and bust a move too. That girl can dance! No wonder I had big paws to fill. I am thinkin' hers was tryin' to impress the Mr. Garth Riley after he gave hers a kiss in the Kissin' Booth.
Amber, did you get yours cake? Mr. Pip was very busy at the buffet: I hopes his tummy is doin' all rights today.
I think my girl needed a break too because hers may have gotten into those coffee martinis Alien was mixin' up. Hers said they were tasty. I was also impressed him managed to fit into those leather pants all night long!
I thinks everyone was havin' a good times. I saw Asta, shakin' her groove thang and Max Daodder Weenie was spinnin' his date all around the dancin' floor. It was sure a nights to remembers!
We has so many folks to thanks that I'm not sure wheres to start. First of all, did you see how beautiful the hall looked? Frankie's brides, Ruby and Penny, decorated the hall just fur our PAWTY. Frankie, you are one lucky dude. And, our wonderful Blogville Happy Valentine's Day/Happy birthday cake was deliciousnesses and it was made by Wyatt and his mom just fur our PAWTY!
Paws Bang did greats keepin' us movin' and thanks to Lucy fur steppin' in when the members of Paws Bang needed a breaks. It was so much fun and it wouldn't been the same if the wonderful citizens of Blogville hadn't come out in full forces! Some folks couldn't even dances because of a hurt paw, but they came anyway-Jack, it was great to see you. It's not Valentine's Day without  Chocolate (Labrador) kisses.
I stopped my dancin' at one point to go make use of those poles and trees that Frankie mentioned, and stopped by the Aquatic centre. It looked like our shelled furriends were havin' a good time too. Those of you who pitched in to dig that special area for our aquatic furriends did a fantabulous job!
Nows, I knows there is somethin' you have been holdin' your breath fur, rights?
Who won King and Queen? Wells, you shall wait no longer! My girl has tallied the votes and the results are as follows:
*Drum roll please, Sarge*!
Wells, erm, you're gonna have to waits a bit longer. You see, we haves a tie. Yup. Two lovely Ladies have the same amounts of votes There's no denyin' who the King is, but we needs to find his Queen
So, what do you propose we do bouts this, Blogville?
My girl was thinkin' the two Ladies in question could tell you bouts themselves and we can vote, or, we can have two beauties ruling Valentine's Day together?
What ya thinkin Blogville? Let us know in the comments section of this post.
Raffle prizes are still available for ticket buyin' until Saturday. So, if there's anything else that you are wantin' to buy tickets fur, go ahead!
Nows, I am thinkin' I needs to get back to a nap because I may have gotten into those coffee martinis too.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Slightly Wordless Wednesday

Since everyone has danced the night away, it is time to roll out the very special treat that should fill all up.
Wyatt and his mom came to my rescue and baked a lovely cake for the PAWTY because I am a horrible chef. There should be  enough here for all.
Thank you to Wyatt and his mom for this cake.
.
 Happy Valentine's  Day to all and happy birthday to everyone in   Blogville  who has celebrated a birthday recently!
Thanks so much to everyone for pawticipating! I couldn't have done it without you.
hugs
Now, dig in!
*Note:  Blogger is not allowing me to upload the photos of the cake for some reason or another. So, perhaps, use your imagination and let me know how great the cake is. LOL Sorry,  all*.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Vote, vote, vote!

Good afternoon Blogville!
I am hopin' that everyone's Valentine's Day is goin' fantabulously. I am PAWTYing like a crazy man, dacin' up a storm with my loverley Nola.
Did you see the decorations in the big hall?
Oh, they is breaths takin'. We still don't knows who decorated it fur us, but it's fantabulous!
I do have to takes a break from dancin' just fur a minute to reminds all citizens of Blogville to please vote fur your Queen and King. The votes are all funnies, with a couple of ties and my girl is thinkin' we may have to comes up with a tie breaker if some more votin' doesn't happen.
So, we've moved the votin' station into the hall so that's you don'ts have to abandon your date fur too long and come and vote!
We also haves a tasty treat for everyone comin' up soon. We didn't want any of Blogville's citizens to go hungry while out PAWTYing. So, come back to check out what we haves in store fur you.
Oh, and don'ts furget to be kissin' your date either. Jetta just received five kisses from Garth! Hers is so excited because hers is a senior citizen you knows and although hers knows her is beautiful, hers wasn't sure anyone still appreciated her loverliness.
Well, I better be gettin' back to dancin' befure someone else tries to scoop up my Nola. Have you seen her dress?!
Oh, and Roscoe and I have a very special kiss for Amber Daweenie. Hers needs to have her first mornin' kiss fur good luck. XXXXXXX
This is Glacier signin' out fur nows!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!

It's here. It's actually heres! And, oh, Roscoe and I are so excited. We both haves two beautiful dates to the big dance and we've both been practicin' our moves!
Have you wished your Valentine a Happy Valentine's Day yet?
Roscoe and I are heres, this mornin', to wish our beautiful dates a Happy Valentine's Day! To do that:
I boughts the loverley Nola a yummer and made  sure it was hypo allergenic because hers has allergies. Don'ts want MY Valentine to have the itchies today! I also stopped over at The Kissing Booth to give hers a kiss, because if you remembers, a kiss first thing on Valentine's Day mornin' is good luck.
Roscoe also wants to make sure Maggie Mae knows hims is so happy that hers picked hims to be her date. Hims went over and gave her a mornin' kiss to make sure she gets good luck and bought her a yummer too!
Don't worries Ladies, my girl (who Roscoe calls the Mama), made sure our teeths were brushed befure we were goin' over and kissin' you. Good luck kiss or not, you wouldn't want to be dealin' with our mornin' breaths.

My girl would like to wish everyones, four and two leggers alike, a Happy Valentine's Day. Makes sure to kiss your loves this mornin' and gets some good lucks!
We'll be back laters with more Valentine's Day goodness!
Happy Valentine's Day, Blogville!
Love
Glacier and Roscoe

Monday, February 13, 2012

Impawtant Deadlines!

Good morning Blogville! Glacier here reporting live from the Blogville Valentine's Day news room.
As you all knows, we have one more day befure the big PAWTY!  Oh, I am so excited! That means, one more day befure I get to go dancin' with my loverley Nola.
That also  means, one more day to get your votes in fur Valentine's Day King and Queen. You have until midnight EST on February 14th to make sure your favourite for King and Queen are elected. We will announce the winners on the morning of  February 15th.
The Kissing Booth will stay open until the end of the week just in case you didn't have enoughs time to get your smooches in. Plus, my girl says, why shoulds we save kisses fur only Valentine's Day?
The raffle prizes will also be available until the end of the week. The winners of each prize will be announced on Saturday. So, don't furget to get your tickets!
There has also beens some interesting criminal activity in Blogville and Sarge is on duty to makes sure all citizens are obeying the laws. Frankie's cousin will be in court this mornin' to plea her case. Fur all of the details go visit Mayor Frankie's blog or check out our Daily Results page.
Sarge is doin' his bestest to ensure all citizens are safes on Valentine's Day. If you knows of any questionable behaviors, please inform Sarge so he may makes the arrest.
With that in minds, I must be gettin' over to the court proceedings.
This is Glacier, signin' offs fur now.
Keep votin' and keep kissin'.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Breaking News!

It has been brought to my attention that two of Blogville's citizens have already received tickets for their law breaking behavior. All of the information about these stories and more can be found on our Daily Results Page. If you happen to be someone who has charges brought up against you, please go to our "No, Get out of Jail Free Card" page and pay your fine or bribe Sarge. You can also serve jail time if you do not have any green papers. Please click the image of either the 1 or 2 dollar bills in order to pay your fees.
Sarge is very alert and on duty, so be careful Blogville.
Also, the voting is heating up with a few ties and one loan doggie leading the pack. You have just over two days to vote for your King and Queen. Blogville is a democratic society, so  please exercise your wright to vote.
One last reminder: it is good luck if someone receives a kiss first thing Valentine's Day morning. We have over thirty kissable girls and guys just waiting to be smooched. So, don't forget to get your good luck kiss in on the morning of  February 14th. (That's not to say, you shouldn't be kissing your favourites before then). ;)
This is Jess, reporting live from inside the Blogville Valentine's Day News room.

I am "It!"

I Glacier have been tagged. My loverley Lady, Nola, has tagged me. I haves to be tellin' you ten thingies bouts me.
You ready fur this?
1. Use seven words to describe yourself.
Big, goofy, smarter than you think, loving.
(Hows was that)?.

?!

2. What keeps you up at night?
Erm, nothingy. I am a heavy sleeper just like my girl...oh, sometimes Roscoe squishes me because he's a bed hog and that wakes me ups.
3. Who would you like to be?
What kinds of question is that?! I would likes to be me. I'm cute and handsome and a charmer...what else could I ask fur?4. What are you wearing right now?
My black working half check collar with my Rabies/microchip/working dog tag...oh and my lovely yellow/whiteish furs. (My girl says we needs to be replacing this boring black collar).5. What scares you?
Not a whole lot. I can't be scared because I have to be my girl's eyeballs. If I'm afraid of thingies then she'll walk into thingies...I guess I'm scared she'll leave me home and walks herselfs into traffic. Hers is a flake, you know.
6. The best and worst of blogging?The best: all of my wonderful new furriends and the worst is spammers and word verifications. My girl is always goin' on and on bouts hows word verifications aren't blind friendly.
7. Last website you've visited?
Oh, that is easy: my loverley Lady Nola's blog to gets these questions.
8. One thing you'd change about yourself?
Hmmmm...there is always room for improvement, rights? I wish I knew hows to swim. I'm a Labrador who doesn't swim-I may be slightly defective.

9. Slankets or no?!!
What the woof is a "slanket?"10. Tell us something about the dog or person that tagged you: Hers is a beautiful,-a rare colour-Dachshund who is afraid of big dogs, but is not fraids of me 'cause I'm a nice guy. Hers is my beautiful date for the big Blogville PAWTY on Tuesday! Oh, and hers and I both likes to destroy toys that are supposed to be indestructibles.

I knows this tagging thingy has been floatin' around the Blogosphere in the last little while, so we'll say that if you haven't beens tagged yet, then you should join in the fun and copy these questions and tells us all bouts yourselfs. Oops, I am thinkin' that was a runs ons sentence.
Happy Sunday: love Glacier
P.S. Don't furgets that there are two days left for votin' fur your Valentine's Day King and Queen. Oh, and my girl also says that there are a few raffle prizes that don't even have tickets bought fur thems yet. So, the chances of you winning are probably pretty good...I'm just sayin'. ;)

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Be Still My Heart: By Roscoe

Do you knows what happened on Furday?!
Do you?!
Wells, of courses not. So, I must tells you. The mostest exciting thingy ever happened!
The Postie two legger brought a package fur me! It is my firstest mails ever! I didn't even knows. The Mama had to call me overs and show me that the box was fur me. I didn't believes her, but when hers told me to sniff, I smelled deliciouses munchings and crunchings insides. I told the Mama to gets out the cam-or-a, but hers reminded me that hers eyeballs don't works so good and that her pictures don't turn outs so good. So, that means I haves to tells you all abouts my presie because there is no photo documentations.
Did I mention it was the first presie fur me from the Postie two legger?
Sure, the Mama and Mr. K haves boughts me stuffs befure, but this is my firstest presie from a furriend from Blogville. And this is not just any furriend. Nonononono! This presie was sent to lucky me by my beautiful Maggie Mae.
That's rights! Hers sent me a Valentine's presie! Oh, I is so happy.
Do you knows what's hers got me? Wells, do you?
Oh, of courses you don't. Let me tells you.
The Mama had to gets the sharp snippy thingies to gets the tape off the box. Hers was not snipping fast enoughs so Glacier and me kept poking hers with our noses. I kept sniffing the box and shoving hers with my head, trying to tells hers to hurry the woof up. The Mama kept telling me and Glacier to "sit" and "stay." How coulds I sit and stay when there was a presie fur me...from my Maggie Mae?!
Finally, the tape came offs and the box came open. The Mama let me put my head in the box, but told Glacier he had to waits because it was my presie. Afters I was done sniffing around, Glacier got to sniffs too. I sat down and stared at the Mama to tells her to gets the stuffs out. I don't haves thumbs, Mama!
Hers pulled out this giant wads of paper and I gots all excited because I thoughts that was fur me. Turns out it wasn't. The Mama threw that pawt in the garbages. Under the paper though was where my presie was and, oh, I was so excited to see what's was insides.
There was this other huge box thingy and besides it was this plastic poop bag, but it wasn't poop insides. Nope. Do you knows what it was? Wells...? Oh, rights. I'm telling you what was in theres.
It was a big ball by The Kong Company! And it was all fur me. Oh, Maggie Mae, how did you knows that I loves balls so much? How did you knows that Kong is one of the only products that survives in ours house?!
My Maggie Mae knows me so wells.
Then, the Mama pulled out the other box and that was the ones I coulds smell. Hers opened the lid and...
there, inside was not one, not two and not three bags of real yummers, but six bags of real yummers! They all smelled so goods, I couldn't decides which ones to eats firstest. I sat down again because that is what's I haves to do to get cookies around heres. The Mama opened the bag and I got to eats a triangle and a circle cookie. I am a nice guy and so shared two of my cookies with Glacier. I sat and waited some mores, but the Mama puts the cookies away and said that I couldn't haves them all nows.
Why not?! I loves cookies!
But then I remembereds, I had a new ball to plays with. I pranced into the living room and pounced on the ball and Glacier and me chased it rounds the living room as fastest as we could. I really wanted to do zoomies because I was so happy Maggie Mae had thoughts of me, but the Mama said no zoomies insides. Hers said our flat (apartment) is waaaaaaaaay too small for two big dogs to be doing zoomies. Her is crazy. If hers would just move out of the way and ignore us crashing into furniture, then there's plenty of room for zoomies. But since we couldn't do those, we whacked each other on the head with our feets while trying to get the ball away from each other. It was so much funs!
And guess what? I've been havings cookies ever since and playing with my new ball with Glacier...and every time I eats a cookie or try to do zoomies with my new ball *ignore that pawt Mama*, I thinks of my beautiful Maggie Mae and hows thoughtful hers is.
Thank you Maggie Mae. You are the bestest Valentine's a guy could evers ask fur.
XOXO
Loves
Roscoe

Friday, February 10, 2012

Getting Closer

Just four days until the big bash! Time flies when you're having fun; don't you think?
Voting for Valentine's Day King and Queen is still open and heating up with a few ties. So, make sure you are voting for your King and Queen. This is your Blogville so exercise your wright to vote!
The Kissing Booth has been quite busy and Zona, Sarge's bestest girl, has been our big smoocher in the last few days; planting one on every boy in the Kissing Booth. Sarge had held our kissing record of kissing thirteen girls before Zona came along and shattered his record. Tucker also was a busy guy, but his kisses were all for one lovely Lady. If you want to know who that Lady was or  if you've been  kissed, go check out the Daily Results page.
Yummers have been flying off the shelves and more are being made every day. Don't forget to feed your loved one; especially on Valentine's Day. All that dancing will work up an appetite for sure. You can see if you received a Yummer on the "Loved Recipients of Yummers" page. Check it out!
We've also been informed that Sarge, Blogville's own very competent police dog is on duty. If you, or anyone you know are causing disturbances of the laws, Sarge will be right there to make sure you are held responsible for your infractions. Citizens arrests are allowed as long as you call Sarge to assess the situation. Feel free to "bribe" Sarge, but tell us why you are not guilty, or pay your fine. If you plead guilty, we want to know why. (The page for paying fines/bribes will be up on this blog later today). You can either inform Blogville of your infraction via the comments section on the page or the message section on the Pay Pal form. If you cannot pay your fine, your name will be released to the public. :)
Raffle prizes are still available. The Beagle Bratz are out to be big winners, purchasing a lot of tickets in the last few days. Thanks to Shiloh and Shasta and their Mom for their ticket purchasing.
Also, don't forget that Mona and Weenie's Mom is going to be making a Smile Box presentation of the Blogville PAWTY as a memory keepsake. She is pouring her efforts into this project for free and requests that you send her your pictures. I have also given her permission to take the Blogville images/pictures from my blog. So, if you are not comfortable with that, please let her know.
That is it for now. Roscoe will be back later to tell everyone about his very exciting news.
Keep kissing, voting and buying raffle tickets and keep a watch out for Sarge. You never know where he'll pop up. ;)

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Raffle Prize Run-down

Hello to the beautiful people of Blogville: Glacier here to tells you all bouts the raffle prizes we have for you to choose from. The Daddy told my girl that she should tells everyone what was available and that maybe not everyone knew what everythingy was. So, heres I am to tells you all bouts them. There are  thirteen, not eleven we miscounted yesterdays, thingies up fur grabs, so you may want to get comfy...or a pen and paper to takes notes.
First of all, The Kong Company was incredibly generous and gives us three prizes. And, I'm not talkin' little prizes. No ways! Three big prizes and different prizes for different needs. They was thinkin' when they picked what to donate to us. There is a Senior Kong, which is the purple and white Kong, with a mini Kong key chain. Whats you needs a key chain fur I haves no idea, but I'm a dog, I don't haves keys. My girl says the key chains are adorable. Hmmm, I'm adorable. Does that means I'm up fur rafflin' off?
Anyways, the Senior Kong is fur the older citizens of Blogville whose gots softer mouths than us youngsters. I suppose gentler chewers could probably plays with the more flexible, soft Senior Kong, but that means that toy is not fur me or my loverly date, Dachshund Nola: we gots some powerful chompers goin' on. That's whys we are a pawfect match!
Oh, I ams gettin' side tracked by hers loverliness.
The next thingy the Kong Company sent us for the Raffle was an XXL Classic Kong. That means, it's of the red variety and for normal chewers; nots the freakishly strong chewers likes me. Both Kong products are lots of fun 'cause you can stuffs thems with delicious treats and play fetch. This Classic Kong comes with a mini key chain too. Again, apparentlys very adorable. I'm startin' to think my girl's gonna raffle me off if the only criterias is thats you have to be adorable.
The last and most excitin' prize from The Kong Company, at least Roscoe and me thinks it's the most excitin', is the Kong Wobbler. This toy is fantabulous! It wobbles alls over the floor, likes its name says it does, and treats come fallin' out of a little hole in the side of the toy. Oh, but your human needs to remembers to put treats in it. The lid screws off, treats get dumped into the sand weighted bottom, lid goes back on, toy goes on floor and doggies goes crazies. My girl says the best pawt is that the Kong Wobbler only wobbles; it never falls, which means doggies cans whack, and push and roll it and the human nevers has to put it upright again.
On a rainy day, whens we were eatin' kibbles still, my girl put our suppers in it to keep us occupied. Nows, she puts treats in it. Apparentlys I play wrong because I takes off in a corner and tries to chew the top off, but I thinks it's a good game. Roscoe gets it better and our little brother Baloo, who has gones to live with another Mama, loved the Kong Wobbler and he was a little guy! He nevers let anyone else play with it when he was around.
Oh, yeah. And of courses, an adorable Kong key chain comes alongs with the Kong Wobbler too. I am gettin' mores and mores concerned heres...movin' rights along.
Another excitin' item for doggies is the Valentine's basket Baloo's new Mama donated. It's full of fun stuffs for us, like cookies, poop bags and a squeaky stuffed heart. My girl says I'm not allowed to bid on that prize 'cause I ams a strong chewer and wills destroy the stuffed heart. I has no idea what hers is talkin' bouts: that hockey puck needed shreddin'.
Next on our list are the really cool toys donated by VIP. I loves these toys and my girl said I can buy tickets fur these ones 'cause I have a hard time destroyin' thems. There is the Ultimate ring, complete with squeakers. I have one of these and Roscoe and I loves it. We play tug with it and we haven't ripped it yet; erm, yet. The squeakers are stitched into their own little section so it's ways harder to pulls them out. The edges of the toy are soft so it doesn't hurt ours mouths. The Toughies line is the only stuffed toys I'm allowed to have 'cause I can't eat thems and they don't resemble any children's toys. Roscoe and I work in public and so can't be thinkin' that kids' stuffies are ours.
The other item VIP donated was the very cool Lion from the Mighty line. I can't says what this toy's like 'cause I've never had one, but if it's anything likes the Ultimate Ring or the Ultimate Square, which I've also had, this toy is a must haves.
The rest of the prizes are fur the humans. I'm not so interested in these, but my girl says I still have to tells you bouts them. So, heres we go.
H Gibson, a very talented Scottish artist, has generously donated four prints of hers work and two hand dyed/painted scarves. I don't knows much about art, but I thinks they are all very pretty. Well, they'd be pretty if I was a girl and a human. I ams not gonna be wearin' hand painted/dyed scarves. My girl says that the scarves are very silky and soft feelin'. Again, I have no idea what hers is talkin' about; except that I have ben told I have soft, silky ears.
OMD! Hers is gonna raffle me  off fur sure!
The last item that might be of interest to the humans is the hand made bath salt and soap package that my girl will be makin'. The bath salts are made from Dead Sea salt, epson salt and whatevers scent the winner chooses. My girl uses mostly essential oils fur makin' thingies stink, erm, smell good to makes sure people don't have weird itchies from artificial perfume thingies. The salts can also be used as a foot soak if you have tired and sore feets. My girl also makes soap with olive and whatevers essential oils you likes. To be honest, I said that they stink, but her Apple Cinnamon one smells likes pie and even thoughs I've never had pie, I wants to eat it!
So, theres you have it! An explanation of all of the pawsome raffle prizes. My girl is shippin' everythingy so you don'ts have to worry about the shippin' costs. If you go on overs to the Pawsome Raffle Prizes page, you can sees images of the fantabulous prizes fur both dogs and humans.
So, what's you waitin' fur?! Hurry and start buyn' tickets before my girl adds me to the page!

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

One Week!

That's right.
There is one week left in our Blogville fundraiser for Dog Foster Mom. One more week to get your kisses in; one more week to make sure your sweetie's belly is full of delicious yummers; one more week to get your votes in for Valentine's Day King and Queen! And don't forget, one more week for you to get your name entered in the raffle prize draw of your choice.
We have some very active members of Blogville giving this PAWTY their best effort. In fact, I'd like to recognise Amber Daweenie and Sasha for their contributions to the fundraiser thus far. Both girls have been very busy making sure  their loved ones are full of tasty treats. Actually, I think Sasha is the dog who has, thus far, purchased the most Yummers for her very handsome Remington. Amber has been busy voting, kissing and she already has her name in her favourite raffle prize. So, thank you to you two and your Moms' plastic thingies for your pawticipation so far. :)
There is so much going on that I thought I'd give everyone a brief run down again. So, get comfy.
***
We have eleven fantastic raffle prizes, which have all been generously donated. Count 'em! Eleven! That is eleven fun things for you or even your humans. So, stop by the Pawsome raffle prize page  and check out the selection. Currently, the hand dyed scarf seems to be a popular item. *Note: If you do choose to make a purchase, please let me know in the "message" part of the Pay Pal form what prize you have placed your tickets in. This will help me out a bunch*.
***
The Kissing Booth has 13 girls and over 20 boys for you to smooch. That is over thirty friendly pups just waiting for you to give 'em a big one. In basic mathematical terms, that is almost seven kissables a day! You'd better get busy if you want to kiss them all. ;) I think Amber Daweenie has the highest number of kisses so far: she's a popular Lady.
***
The Yummers bakery is busy every day turning out new (virtual) treats for your sweetie. As I've noted above, Remington might want to play more football because his girl Sasha has made sure he won't go hungry. She even made sure he had a special snack for the Big Game Sunday night. There are treats for everyone; pups with allergies, the manly man and even for the kitties out there. Make sure to check the "Loved Recipients of Yummers" page because that is where the updates for who got a Yummer are being put up.
***
Things are heating up with the Valentine's Day King and Queen vote. The votes are slowly trickling in, but the field is split evenly down  the middle,, with each pup who has been voted for, only having one vote. So, what does that mean? If Blogville doesn't start voting, we'll have a six way tie and the participants will have to do something crazy to break the tie. So, let's get our votes in and make sure the pawfect candidates wins the royal titles of Valentine's Day King and Queen.
For daily updates on the vote and who's kissing who, consult the "Daily Results" page.
***
And just when you think we've covered everything, I have one more announcement to make. Well, more like a warning. ;)
A certain police dog will be on patrol starting February 10th, ensuring the  citizens of Blogville are not breaking the law. Tickets will be "pawed" out to those caught breaking the law and the fines will be payable to Dog Foster Mom for a price of 1 dollar USD. If perpetrators are not able to pay his/her fine, he/she will face being recorded for his/her crime. For more information about fines/bribes/going to Valentine's Day jail, please contact me at:
purple DOT tidalwave AT gmail DOT com
(Enquiries about our crime fighting can also be directed to said police dog).
***
Lastly, it has been brought to my attention that attempting to make a mass purchase can be slightly inconvenient. To remedy this, it has been suggested that you use the "general donation" button found at the bottom of most of the Blogville activity pages, enter the amount of green papers you wish to spend and then notify me in the "message" section of the Pay Pal form as to where your funds are being directed. This arrangement is completely fine by me, so if this is easier for you big shoppers, please feel free to go ahead and shop this way. *Note: all funds received, except for the small transaction fee Pay Pal takes, go to Dog Foster Mom in order to assist her build a privacy fence so she may continue doing the wonderful work she is doing for All Paws Rescue*.
***
So, happy kissing/voting/eating/raffle prize ticket buying...and don't forget to be careful come February 10th. You never know when the police will arrive on the scene. :)

Monday, February 06, 2012

Sand and Sunshine

Today was an incredibly gorgeous day and so we-Tenie, Carmen, Glacier, Roscoe and I-took full advantage of the rare appearance of the Scottish sun. The air was still brisk, since it is still in fact February, but it was beautiful nonetheless.
Our day started with Glacier, Roscoe and I walking over to Tenie and Carmen's flat to meet them. Technically, the Guide Dog Association forbids us working our dogs and walking another at the same time, but I did it anyway. First of all, I know my dogs and know that I will be safe. I am also extremely comfortable with the route from my flat to the girls'. Not to mention, sometimes life happens and I am going to have to walk a dog while I work Glacier. As long as it doesn't impact his working, which it does not when it is Roscoe I am walking, then I will continue to do it when necessary.
Carmen greeted us at the door with a cup of coffee for me. The boys and I had a great walk over, despite Roscoe thinking he should go visit another dog about a block from the girls' flat. I felt his body tense up and I knew we were approaching the other creature and so had him sit and stay until he had calmed himself down. I sipped my coffee and chatted with the girls and once Carmen and I were done our tasty beverages, we all headed out; Tenie walking Roscoe, Carmen guiding me and Glacier heeling on leash like a "real dog."
The walk we took was a good 20 to 25 minute walk; through a park, along a path in a cemetery, down a long road and eventually out on to a promenade that ran beside the North Sea. I have always loved the water and loved oceans/seas even more. There's something fascinating about a body of water that is so large. It's soothing and frightening all at the same time. Today the waves were long, rolling soothing waves because there wasn't a wind to hurl them at the wall. I've been living here for five months now and it was the first time we've been to the sea since my arrival. What's up with that?
 It was gorgeous. The sun was warming our faces and we could hear the water splashing on the concrete wall. The dogs were in Heaven as well; sniffing and investigating for as far as their leashes would let them; or at least, as far as we'd let them.
Even when out for off duty walks, Glacier and Roscoe are expected to behave in a specific manner to ensure that bad habits are not being learned and enforced. If the boys are allowed to sniff too much when out walking like "real dogs," then they may transfer that behavior to when they are working. So, they did sniff here and there, but it was held in check to a certain degree.
We wandered along the promenade for a while, passing shops and restaurants, other pedestrians and dogs and buildings of every description. Glacier and Roscoe stopped from time to time to meet other dogs; a Labrador here, a Collie there and everything in between. The people and dogs were out in full force, probably trying to take advantage of the Vitamin D supply just like we were.
We stopped at a little cafe and took seats outside. Glacier had his working harness with him, but Roscoe's had remained at home as Mr. K wasn't able to come with us  due to homework deadline constraints. This lack of Mr. K meant Roscoe was a dog for the day, but also meant he lost his public access privileges as well. We ate delicious lunches, listening to the waves crashing on the shore. People walked/cycled/ran by and dogs stopped to say hello to Roscoe and Glacier, who were tied to my chair. At one point, Glacier's leash came free and I sprang from the chair to get him back. A dog had come to greet the boys and in his enthusiasm, Glacier had managed to yank his leash out from under my bum. Due to my frantic leap for Glacier's leash, Roscoe was able to gain some ground as well because the chair I had been sitting in, and he had been tied to, no longer had any weight in it to keep him from sprinting off. Both dogs were excellent though and stayed when I told them to and I was able to collect leashes without further incident. The Greyhound's owner was quite apologetic, but I told him I wasn't worried about it. Glacier's leash was then tied to the chair as that was a more secure anchor for it.  I fell completely in love with the little area.
When we were finished eating, we decided to head back. All of our hands were freezing from eating outside, but once we started moving again and were back out in the sun, we quickly warmed up. For our trek home, we opted to take a beach walk back. The boys had been so good that we figured they deserved a good off leash run. There are several little paths leading from the paved promenade down to the sand and we took one of these and released the boys after they sat in a "stay" and waited patiently for their "okay." They both took off like shots, kicking up little  sand storms behind them.
We met several different dogs as we made our way down the beach; all of whom were friendly and wanted Glacier and Roscoe to play with them. We met three small dogs of an unidentifiable breed who ran in yapping circles around the boys' ankles. One of these little noise makers ran to me and firmly planted its butt on my feet. Glacier noticing this, promptly came over to me, but the little yapper barked in his face. Glacier backed off and so we decided it was time to  move on.
Further along we came upon a Labrador playing fetch. He was happily chasing a stick out into the waves until Glacier and Roscoe came along. Then, he wanted nothing to do with stick or owner and spent a good few minutes doing the doggie handshake. We finally managed to extract our two from the sniff fest and keep moving.
The last two dogs we came to were another interesting crew. The biggest of the two, and the biggest of all four of the dogs, was a big black shaggy thing that must have been Irish Wolfhound mixed with Labrador. His name was Oscar and he was a nice guy, but he, Glacier and Roscoe decided that a game of "mounting" dominance was fun. We could hardly get the three separated. Every time we tried to leave, Oscar came hauling butt after us and the scenario played out again. Finally, his mama grabbed a hold of his collar and waited for us to get a ways down the sand before releasing him again. He didn't follow us that time. What can I say? Glacier and Roscoe are just that attractive. ;)
We walked further, Glacier and Roscoe running circles around us and then ploughing into the sea. Glacier got to play his most favourite game called,"The white dog gets the dirtiest." He would race into the sea and come sprinting back out only to stop, drop and roll. In the three and a  half years that I have had Glacier this was his first experience at the ocean-or the sea-and he absolutely loved it. As we neared the end of the beach, we clipped the leashes back on and retraced our steps back to the girls' flat. That is  where I put Glacier's harness back on and Roscoe became my charge again. Glacier's guiding home was excellent and confident and Roscoe trotted along beside me, behaving nicely because he was   worn out from his excursion.
Wen we got home, it was shower time for two very filthy boys. Roscoe was first as he had pretty much dried and the sand had mostly flaked off of him on our walk home. Glacier on the other hand was a mess and I spent a good 15 minutes spraying him off, which he was not happy about. Both boys got a bit extra in their supper because all of the running and walking they did today. They are now crashed out, paws twitching and ears flickering.
Do you think they are dreaming of the beach again?

Sunday, February 05, 2012

Are you Checking?

Things have been heating up on the Yummer, smooching and voting fronts. Have you been reading the pages to keep updated? Stop by and see what's happening and if something has been left for you. :)
PS: Raffle tickets are being sold daily as well. Make sure you get your tickets in for the item*s( you want. :)

The True Love Game

On Friday I posted about a game that I used to play when growing up. It was a game to determine the compatibility of a potential love interest. Glacier and Roscoe both have lovely dates for the Blogville PAWTY and so wanted to give the game a shot. Let's see how many points Glacier and Roscoe can accumulate with their beautiful Ladies.
***
Roscoe P the  Labrador
+
Maggie Mae the Boxer
=
T: 2
R: 4
U: 0
E: 6
L: 1
O: 4
V: 0
E: 6
Total points: 221
What does Roscoe have to say?
"OOOOO! I just knews the beautiful Maggie Mae and me weres a special thingy. Hers is so lovely and even ifs ours points weres lows, I still would haves luved hers!"
***
Glacier the Labrador
+
Nola the Dachshund
=
T: 2
R: 3
U: 1
E: 3
L: 3
O: 2
V: 0
E: 3
Total points: 170
What does Glacier have to say?
"
"Isn't she lovely?
Isn't she wonderful?
Isn't she lovely... Oh, ahem. I was practicin' my singin' for the loverly Nola. Do you thinks she'll like it? I told my girl I don't care about points! My love is true without numbers! Nows, back to my singin' practice. I must be pawfect for Miss Lovely because she is pawfect."
***
And there you have it: the boys are in love. Isn't it a beautiful thing? :)

Friday, February 03, 2012

Fun Fact Friday: Love

It's been a while since we've had a Fun Fact Friday around here. I thought that it would be fitting to have today's reflect the Month of Love theme; especially since we are celebrating Valentine's Day to the Max. with our Blogville Valentine's Day PAWTY.

Fifteen Fun Facts: Love
1. Did you know that even though most animals are not interested in monogamous relationships, there are some who mate for life? The Canadian Goose or the Swan, for example, all keep the same partner throughout his/her lifetime. This is also true of some types of wolves.
2. There was a game my friends and I used to play when we were kids that determined how compatible you were with your love interest. You took the phrase "true love" and your first, middle and last name and your love interest's first, middle and last name. Then you went through the phrase "true love" to see how many letters from each name were in true love. You then added the letters up, added a zero and that is how many points you got with tha tperson. The higher the score, more likely you were destined to be together. Here's an example:
Christena Nicole Hodges
Michael Clancy Smith
T = 2
R = 1
U = 0
E = 3
L = 3
O = 2
V = 0
E = 3
This matching gets 140 points.
3. One year, while in university, I decorated the house I was sharing with Tenie and Carmen. I also made little Valentine's for the girls and for the dogs we knew. When the girls woke up they were touched, but pointed out that I had stuck a black heart over Heath Ledger's face...woops.
4. An estimated 198 million roses were made for Valentine's Day in 2010 in the United States.
5. Apparently, women prefer to get gifts in the evening, after a nice meal, whereas men prefer to receive gifts in the morning.
6. Most of the roses sold on Valentine's Day are red.
7. Approximately 141 million cards are sold globally on Valentine's Day.
8. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew a name from a bowl to see who his/her Valentine would be. They would wear that name on his/her sleeve for a week.
9. Parents receive 1 in every 5 Valentine's.
10. Verona, the Italian city where Romeo and Juliette was set, receives about a thousand letters, addressed to Juliette, a year on Valentine's Day.
11. I have read that about 3 percent of pet owners will get something for his/her pet on Valentine's Day. I think this number must be wrong-it must be higher, right?
12. Next to Christmas, Valentine's Day sells the most cards.
13. If you see a squirrel on Valentine's Day, it is thought that you will marry a cheap skate who will horde all of your money. (You hear that doggies? Chase those squirrels off on Feb. 14).
14. It is said that if you cut an apple in half, the number of seeds inside will predict the number of children you will have.
and
15. Getting a kiss first thing, Valentine's morning, is considered good luck.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

A Little 411!

Just a brief update to bring all of the citizens of Blogville up to speed.
Two more pages have appeared on this blog-aside from The Kissing Booth, Yummers Fur Your Sweetie, King and Queen Vote, Pawsome Raffle Prizes  and Loved recipients of Yummers-and they are important too.
First thing's first. The page entitled, "PAWTY Central" has all of the links for the other pages on it in one location. That means you can get to any of the activities from that particular page.
Second of all, there is a page entitled "daily results," which will keep you up to date on who kissed who and how the voting is going. The exact number of votes for particular individuals will not be released as we want the result on February 14th to be a surprise, but it will give you an idea and hopefully get a little bit of good natured competition going.
Also, don't forget the check out the "Loved Recipients of Yummers" page because it too is getting updated multiple times a day.
And last, but certainly not least, another exciting, or not so exciting depending on your point of view, activity  is going to be happening in Blogville. The details of this will be released at a later date, but can we say "Sarge" and "police work?" ;)
That's all for now. Make sure to check out the new pages to stay up to date on what's happening with the Blogville PAWTY!

Learning

It seems as though the last month for me has been this huge learning opportunity. I'm not complaining; not even close. I mean, I am the girl with a BA and a massage diploma and I've applied to get my MSc in the fall, but this is a different kind of learning; not book learning.
My biggest sources of learning have come from building the Blogville PAWTY participation pages and the Labrador Retriever Rescue that I have recently started volunteering with. Again, both have been different lessons, but I think it's interesting to note that one can learn without even knowing it's happening.
Take the Blogville PAWTY for example. I had no idea I could actually maneuver a computer well enough to make something like this happen. I am absolutely amazed that it's all working. *Knock on wood*. However, I have also learned a whole lot about Pay Pal that I wasn't completely aware of before starting out and there are features that I should have used in order to keep things more organised. So, if you send me donations and I email you back asking what you purchased, don't think it's your fault. It's a design flaw that I will know how to fix next time. I think this experience is going to teach me how to keep very clear and concise records. See? More learning. :)
With LRRS I have learned that handling humans is way harder than dogs. Okay, not every human-I have been absolutely awe struck at the kindness and enthusiasm that this wonderful blogging community has shown towards this PAWTY and helping Dog Foster Mom-but some humans for sure.
There is one client I was asked to work with as she is located closer to me than to C. Her dog was exhibiting classic symptoms of separation anxiety, but after some probing questions I realised that it was partly separation anxiety, but also boredom. I wrote up a plan for this individual to implement to help the dog, but she decided to re-home him anyway. I respect that she knew that she could not give him what he needed, but not two days after talking to C about re-homing him she contacted me to find her a crate because he had chewed up a window sill. I told her that finding a free crate was not likely, but offered to assess him so that we could get him into a foster or forever home faster and have not heard back from her. I had also said that I could look up pet shops in her area and price out appropriate crates for her. Her non-responsiveness strikes me as kind of strange.
Second example is of a person leaving a desperate message on the Facebook page asking for an emergency foster home for an 8 week old puppy. Mr. K said I could foster the pup and so I asked her to contact me. She replied by saying that a visit to the vet had fixed the problem and that the pup was good now.
What?
Was she giving a puppy to a foster home because it was sick?
I am so confused.
I guess I was just surprised that people try to take advantage of a non-profit, rescue organisation. After talking with C about both situations, I began to realise that I have a lot to learn about rescue;not everyone who comes to the rescue for help,, want it, or they at least don't want what you are offering.
At first, I had felt like I had failed the dog with separation anxiety/boredom destructive behavior, but I quickly realised that, as in most things, people cannot be helped if they actually don't want it. I have learned, very quickly, that I can definitely use my heart and feel for these dogs and people, but I also have to think with my brain and make informed decisions. I was all prepared to go off and find a free crate, but C made some logical arguments that illustrated to me that it wasn't necessarily my responsibility in this particular situation. However, C is very good at assessing each individual case and so maybe next time, finding a free crate is what needs to be done.
So, what have I taken away from all of this?
Be compassionate, but make sure to think logically.
Be willing to help, but know that some people just don't want help and that is not my fault.
Some people in this world are slightly questionable, but then there are others, such as those in Blogville, who are the warmest/most fantastic people in the world.
and
I need to have good record keeping skills! :)

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

GET READY BLOGVILLE!




Hellllooooooo Blogville! Glacier with the mostest excitin' news! It's so excitin' I might have to sit down for a minute...

Okays, are you ready for the excitin' news?!
Maybe you should sit down too.

Are you sittin'?
Okays...
*Drum roll and sparkly thingies, please*!


Ooooo, very nice.

The most excitin' thingy has happened. My girl and her IT supervisor have worked very hard and everythingy is ready for kissin' and votin' and rafflin'.  
 

That's right! We get to start smoochin' and browsin' the beautiful faces of Blogville to pick our Valentine's Day King and Queen.
What ya think of that? 

I know I'm super excited! There's a very loverly lady Dachshund wearin' a pink boa that I must be off to be kissin'. 

So...pucker up Blogville, for Dog Foster Mom's privacy fence and remember to vote because every vote also helps hers get that fence too!
Enoughs typin'!

More votin' and kissin', and rafflin'!







*****



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