I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.

For me they are the role model for being alive.

~ Gilda Radner

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Sunday's snooze #18

It was a little chilly yesterday. You Know, only 60-65 degrees, with a pretty stiff breeze.

So Stumpy's snooze took place indoors.

Late to the pawtee


Snickers, a friend of Stumpy's from Dirtville, came to visit on Wednesday, with her pawrents. They brought lunch and cookies!


Snickers fit right in with the rest of the pack. Rain welcomed her with open arms.


Sister arrived a week or so, ago


She brought along her brother, Louis.

who happens to be a big flirt in a small package.


and her sister, Annie


The camp got pretty quiet towards the end of the week.
Homer's still here!


And Stella


Tony is still here, too!


Earlier, I promised you a picture of something other than Heidi's bum. Here's the beautiful Heidi in profile and from the front.



And I'm not sure if you met Mia before

Mia was here with us for the first two weeks.

Stumpy is going to be so lonely when return to dirtville next week. She's been allowed a lot of slack these past few weeks and it shows. Don't tell her, but when we return to dirtville there's going to be a refresher course in obedience beginning with a lock-down boot camp.

Before that happens she will have another couple of days with Fenway.

Stumpy thought you would all enjoy this hummingbird nest webcam, out of San Diego. Most especially those of you who are buried under the white stuff and dreaming of the spring.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Meet Rain - an enviromentally conscious cattle dog


At only 7 months old, Rain is passionate about recycling. She tried, for hours, to encourage the other dogs to recycle with her.


Dog Foster Mom has been looking for a home for Ziggy for over a year, now.
She has entered Ziggy in a contest that could, potentially, lead him to his happily ever after home. Please take a minute to vote for Ziggy

Stumpy and I are both flattered an honored to be considered by Carny Dog, aka Stella, to have the makings and potential of a true Carny Dog. Stella honored Stumpy by naming her this week's choice for "Would've made a great carny dog!"

Miss Mayzie is celebrating her blogaversary in a very special way, TODAY!!!!Help shelter dogs and celebrate Mayzie's 1st year of blogging by leaving a comment on her blog!!!

Stumpy After Dark

Rain, Stumpy's nemesis, has been sporting a glow in the dark collar. Stumpy must have mentioned her collar envy to Rain's dad and Alex. They brought one home for Stumpy when the went into town the other day


Stumpy practically glows in the dark


Stumpy, it seems, has also managed to turn it off so she can still move about in stealth mode, when scavenging and rabble rousing.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Stumpy is rrrruffing it

but appears to be handling the lack of amenities with grace and class



*we're on limited air/data time until we return to dirtville. I have about an hour of internet time, daily, and I try to visit as many blogs as I can in that time!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Paw-teeeeeee (24/7)

Stumpy can't wait to get out the door in the morning!

Here's why:

The matriarchs
Dina (15 years old)

Kelly (11 years old from Washington State)


Stetson (5-9 year old from California)


Homer, the Host with the Most. Homer's from everywhere! He's been fulltiming for years. works for the Nation Forest Service in the summer and travels in the winter.


Tony from Oregon


Stella was late to the party so I don't know anything about her except she fit right in.


Heidi (1 year old, from Florida and always on the move! I swear i will get a picture of her beautiful face!)


And Rain, 7 months old and she's been on the road and everywhere from the time she was weaned.


Rain and Heidi are true party girls. Every time the pawtiers settled down, one of those girls would get a second (third, fourth, fifth, sixth....) wind and it would start all over again.

Especially fun, was Stumpy getting a taste of her own medicine, playing with Rain, who instinctively, knows the same dirty cattle dog tricks!


Rain has yet to learn the art of the stink-eye!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Home is where your chair is

Of course we brought one of Stumpy's chairs!


Stumpy had a rough ride down. The rig is a 1975 model, so pretty noisy to begin with. Add things falling out of storage and pots and pans clattering in cupboards. Well, Stumpy didn't get a wink of sleep the whole way down. As soon as her chair was set up, and we had a walk she made herself right at home!


We're in Quartzsite, Arizona for 3(ish) weeks, boondocking in a borrowed RV. I am camping with a group of Rubber Tramps.

Quartzsite is known as the snowbird capital of the world. It begins to transform in November. From a sleepy, desert town to a metropolis booming with RV's.

We're camped on BLM land, where camping is free but you/your vehicle should be self-contained. Many of the people I am here with have been doing this for years. Their vehicles are tricked out with the latest technology to survive, full time, off the grid. I hope to be joining them within the next year. It's one of the reasons I ended up in Dirtville.


You can see RV's dotting the land scape in this photo. We're about 7 miles out of town. The closer you get to town, the more congested the camping gets.


There's some fool parked about an 8th of a mile south of me with a bright blue strobe light on a 20-30 foot pole. What the hell is that about?

Anyways, it's supposed to get to 72 degrees here tomorrow. You'll find Stumpy baking in her chair, no doubt.

I'm on battery power, so my time on the internet is limited. I hope to keep in touch over the next couple of weeks. I run my generator in the earlier hours of the day to charge the house batter, my phone and laptops. The object is to not run out of stored electricity before bed. No solar power or storage in this unit. But you can bet there will be in mine!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

What happens at the dog park, stays at the dog park.



And we're going to leave this big guy there, too.


(could I please get you two to look at the camera?)

We're still at my son's, in Nevada. We'll be leaving for points south, today. We were slightly delayed due to circumstances beyond our control. We don't mind, though. We like hanging out with Fenway. Oh yeah, and my son.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wordless Wednesday, first EVAH

Because there are no words...


ok, maybe there's a word or two... "peanut butter"

Disclaimer: I didn't give Stumpy a mouth full of just peanut butter. I gave her a peanut butter-filled bone (kind of like an oreo cookie doggie style!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Sunday's Snooze (#17) was very rudely interrupted

to pack the truck. Stumpy was forced to fore go her nap to make sure nothing was forgotten (A supervisor's work is never done.)


Stumpy, of course was sure this was the time she was going to be left behind. She chose to supervise from the truck in order to prevent that from happening.

Finally! We're on the road, again! (And look! I decided Stumpy should come along for the ride. (Shocker, I know!)


Where are you taking me?


It's a surprise, just keep watching, you'll see!


Are we there, yet?

*

*

*

*

*
Yipee! We're at Kuzzin Fenways!


But that's not all. Further adventures include this:

I hope Stumpy will think it was worth missing her nap!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Catching a ray

In the morning, before it warms up outside, Stumpy likes to bask in the rays of sunlight that flood the front room.


The ears are talking, again. Do you suppose she's annoyed because I haven't moved her bed so she can bask in comfort?


Shauna who blogs at Fido and Wino is working on a project she calls R.O.A.R.(Rescue Owners Are Rockin’). Shauna and the ROAR Squad are all about inspiring people to adopt rescued dogs. You can read all about Shauna's goals for ROAR here

It's not going to cost you a thing! Basically it's a chance to brag on that awesome partner of yours.

ROAR's first year goal:

"Over the next year I will feature on Fido & Wino:

•at least one rescue owner from every state in the US
•at least one rescue owner from every province and territory in Canada
•at least one rescue owner who is from the “Super Wicked Peeps” list below
You want to take part? YAHOO!

Are you a rescue owner? Know a rescue owner? Please send me an email at fidoandwino (at) gmail (dot) com:*"

It's easy, here's what you need to do:

"1.Please send me 2-4 photos of you/the owner and your rescue pet (you/the owner must be in at least one picture too!)
2.Please provide the following info (the closer your info is to this format, the faster I can get your post up (i.e. please write your post the way you would like to see it)):
•Your/you & your partners names (please include): xxx
•Your pets’ name(s) (please include): xxx
•About you/you & your partner (optional): xxx
• if you have a blog/website, please include links
•Breed (please include): xxx
•Your pets age (please include): xxx
•Rescue/shelter name/circumstances around how you came to adopt your pet (optional): xxx
•Rescue/shelter website link (please include): xxx
•Funny/interesting tidbits (please include): xxx
•Your state/province (please include): xxx
•What “Super Wicked Peep” category you fit under, if one applies (scroll way down- optional): xxx
•How did you hear about the ROAR Squad (Twitter? Facebook? A friend (who?)? Other (please specify))"

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Christmas (cards) arrive in Dirtville

Stumpy was thrilled!


She inspected each card!


Tasted them.


She admired each furends picture

Reminisced about the times back East we spent with FAD, FAD and Nor-wham

Talked about our next trip east and how we would make sure to catch up with Mayzie, Tula and Miss Kylie

We wished we were on the beach in sunny Florida, with Roo .

And Stumpy crossed her paws, sending some pawer to Blueberry and her family.

Then I wiped the peanut butter off the cards and gave Stumpy a peanut butter bone.


Mail service in dirtville is a little on the tricky side, which is only slightly better than non-existant. I don't have home delivery. I go to the post office once a week, if I have something else to do in town. Since there really isn't anything to do in town, sometimes I don't make it there for a couple of weeks. I got a card from my sister, also yesterday. A Thanksgiving Day card that was mailed on November 22.

As a retired Letter Carrier for the USPS, I have nothing but admiration and respect for postal workers. The automated machinery leaves a lot to de desired (as do the ties in the ivory tower ::waves and flips them off::!) Plus, this is a contract office, so there's a world of difference. Dirtville's mail, after leaving the originating distribution center, goes through at least 3 offices/sorting facilites. that's 2 more than normal mail in normal places.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Stumpy's a slacker

Coyote watch should look something like this


or this


But lately, coyote watch is looking like this


and this


It appears the ears are still working


But someone is slacking!




P.S. I give up trying to align that second pic! UNCLE, Blogger, UNCLE! You win!