Month: April 2018

Annnnd he’s off…

Leave a Comment on Annnnd he’s off…

There is a bounty out for the groundhog. Seriously.  He predicted an early Spring.  What a joke.  On Sunday night we got snow.  Enough snow so that the snow plow guy – who has already been paid twice because he thought the season was over, had to come again. Now if it had been December, it would have been quite pretty.  But April, not so much.  Still, by the afternoon on Monday, the sun was shining and some of the winter wonderland WAS beginning to disappear.  A bit. So my human decided to take all of us down to the lake.  And for some reason, which is hard to guess, she decided to put the FG on a long line.  And she let him free…

It all started out well.  He was running down the trail with me and Einstein and was staying quite close.  My human even called all of us to “come” and we all did – because she had stuffed her pockets with extra yummy treats.  And all was a great moment.  Note I said moment…
We got down to the lake and a cold wind was blowing and the water was choppy.  The FG was fascinated with the waves.  He watched them.  

And he put his head back and took in all of nature’s aromas.

And then.   He looked along the shoreline.  

And in that instant, my human suddenly saw the Picard brain wheels moving. Fast. He started moving along the shoreline.  And she lunged for the longline. And she made that “hey buddy, Elroy” voice – the one that is a cross between fear and begging. And he knows that voice. And for him it spells “FREEDOM.”  And he was gone. Along the shore and into the woods.  Well.  Snow or not, uneven, wooded, swampy terrain or not – she laid chase. And she told us to help.  Einstein just looked at me, rolled his eyes and ran along.  Over downed trees, around thick brush and around puddles.  Unfortunately, my human took her OWN route and ended up stepping in a wet swampy hole that was deep enough to go over her boots – leaving her with wet socks and mucky pants. “Agggggggghhhhhh” she shouted at the heavens.  She could see the FG darting among the trees at warp speed. He was out of sight for about 20 seconds and then circled back like a freight train off the rails. He ran so fast she couldn’t grab the line- and he headed for a place along the shore.  I think he ended up in the water, and then he jumped out and that only fueled the race.  So now he was not only swampy, and covered in sticks but he was wet too.  But for some reason, he circled back again and this time my human fell on the line.  Busted.  The problem was she now had the get the now bucking bronco swamp monster back home through the woods.  And – I neglected to mention- she wasn’t wearing gloves. So her hands were freezing- and the wild thing was pulling so hard she could barely hold on. Then she remembered an old trick.  She took the leash, ran it down his back and then looped it around his belly. Instant power steering. We all trudged back to our trail and up to the house. 
I guess the FG still isn’t quite ready to run free.  Mind you, my human didn’t try her trusty whistle.  She didn’t even bring it.  No comment on that brilliant move.
It’s kind of nice to be the good dog for a change. Although , I hope though that I’m not losing my edge. We’ll see…I COULD go off looking for that groundhog.  Once the snow melts…
Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 5

Cherish an Antique Day. An antique dog.

Leave a Comment on Cherish an Antique Day. An antique dog.

Today is April 9 and it is National Cherish an Antique Day.  A day for us to be really nice to our human.  Just kidding.  Although in dog years she is WELL over 100 years old.  Several hundred in fact.

I’ve talked before about her hobby of collecting old stuff.  Particularly old dog stuff.  We talked before about old dog books, postcards, and paintings and today we’ll talk about bisque.  Nope – I’m not talking about soup.  Although Tomato bisque can be quite tasty.  I’m talking about bisque porcelain.

Although porcelain has been around for centuries,  bisque porcelain was used a lot in the late 1800’s for making everything from dolls to figurines. It’s white, unglazed porcelain, that is sometimes painted. If you Google antique bisque dogs, you’ll see all kinds on EBay and Etsy.  Many of these dogs have no markings – so you can’t be sure where they were made.  But sometimes, if you look very closely, you may find the country of origin.  As a general rule, before 1890, items imported into North America did not need to be labelled with a country of origin.  And if you see the words “made in” you will know that the item was made after 1914.  Now these are GENERAL rules, but they may tell us a little bit about how old our bisque dog MIGHT be.

This tiny french bulldog is only 2 inches tall, but if you look closely on his back side, you will see the word Germany.

Same thing for THIS little guy who is only ONE inch tall.

Given that they have a country of origin, it is likely they were made somewhere between 1890-1914.
This guy only has a number 1880.  That COULD be the date, or it could be a manufacturing number.  Still, he’s probably at least 100 as well.

Most of her canines have NO markings.

That could mean they are older than 1890…or maybe they had an ink marking or label and it came off.  Ya never know – although the more you handle the old stuff, the better idea you get at knowing whether something was made in 1890 – or in 1990.  Still – even the experts can be fooled!

My human was surprised to see some of the prices on old bisque dogs.  Trust me – she didn’t pay those kinds of prices.  She purchased her little canines mostly at yard sales and flea markets and the odd antique show.  She never paid more than a few bucks for her Fidos – and I dare say, you still CAN find these vintage canines at flea markets if you look carefully for them.  And if you are paying just a few dollars – then you won’t be TOO concerned if what you THOUGHT was old turns out to be not so ancient.  The bottom line – you have to like your purchase!

We still haven’t found a bisque PON or Picard.  But that doesn’t mean she won’t keep looking!  It’s kind of neat to wonder where these guys were before they came to our house.  If they could only talk and tell us where they have been.  I’m just glad we don’t have to feed them!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 3

Farts.

Leave a Comment on Farts.

April 8.  And an important day.  Dog Farting Awareness Day.  One of my favourites.  I must confess, I had to look back and see if I wrote about this topic before.  And of course I did.  It’s kind of hard to top this blog with the blooper photos…

http://viktorsviews.blogspot.ca/2017/04/warning-dog-farting-awareness-day.html

I recall that my human’s mother thought that particular blog post stunk.  Pun intended.  She said “who wants to read about dog farts?”  Dog people do. Because some of us dogs are experts in the area.  I tried to see if there is a Guinness Record for dog farts.  Nope. I found records for tallest dog, heaviest dog, longest ears on a dog, dog able to hold the most tennis balls, biggest vocabulary – but no farts.  Humans have us beat this time. There IS a human record.  Seriously.  Would you like to be the person claiming THAT record?  And come on – I know you are wondering how long.  Aren’t you?  2 minutes and 42 seconds. Eeeeeewwwww.  The guy must have eaten a LOT of beans…

On a more scientific note – here’s a video about dog flatulence.  And I can attest to the part that mentions eating cheese – with our recent counter surfing episode…
https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_multi_flatulence

You know, there are couple of guys who wrote a BOOK about fart terms.  Ben Applebaum and Dan DiSorbo, have a book available on Amazon.  Really.  And I have to share just a few of my favourite synonyms that they have listed…air biscuit, fluffer, fizzler, fanny beep, back draft, power puff and this unusual one – air tulip.  There are at least 150 terms.  Who knew?
Anyway, I guess I have “passed” along enough info on this topic. Right now my human’s mother is up there shaking her head.  And probably cracking a smile.


Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure-free days: 2

Nature sounds

Leave a Comment on Nature sounds

Today is April 7, and according to the crazy calendar, it is also International Beaver day.  The beaver, which happens to be the symbol of Canada, is a large rodent with a flat tail, who likes to build dams – and create lakes and ponds.  And while they CAN be benficial in restoring wetlands, they can also make a bit of a mess by taking down trees.  Here’s a video of a tree that two beavers have been working on for a little over 3 weeks.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfTubrLqXCE

And I thought the FG was a champion stick chewer – these guys clearly have him beat!

Here is another guy working his way through a smaller tree.  Look out – this one comes down!  And check out how the beaver moves it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps7y-mkfrwU

Anyway, as you may recall, we had a beaver down by the lake last year, cutting trees.  But, he disappeared.  Along with the dreaded moles in the back lawn!  I have NO idea where those guys went either, but my human was happy to see them go.  Remember how she was looking for terriers to borrow?  Guess they heard and moved on.  They must read my blog.

And speaking of wildlife, my human and the FG heard a strange sound the past couple of weeks.  The FG is big on nature sounds.  He’s the guy with the supersonic nature hearing.  He never misses a thing.  Einstein and I have better hearing for chesse wrappers.  Or the sound of the treat jar opening.

Anyway, we have figured out the mystery sound.  It seems a pair of pheasants have taken up residency on our property.  My human has seen both the male and the femaile several times. They make QUITE a loud sound.

But in addition to the pheasant call, my human and the FG heard THE best sound yesterday morning.  For my human it is a sound she waits for every year because, for her, it heralds the REAL start of spring.  And the sound is something she finds both haunting and peaceful.  What is it?  The spring garbage truck.  JUST kidding!  It’s the sound of the loons – who have returned to the lake.  They come back every year.  She and the FG heard it yesterday.  He put his ears up and looked at her.  And she smiled.  They are back…Let spring really begin…although it DID snow last night….

Have a goood one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days:1

Jerry. The lead dog.

Leave a Comment on Jerry. The lead dog.

April 6.  And on this day in 1909, Robert Perry and Matthew Henson were said to be the first men to reach the Noth Pole.  Now there is controversy – as Frederick Cook said HE was the first to reach the Pole the year before.  But after an inquiry into the matter, Cook was declared a fraud, and Perry-Henson were listed as the first.  Actually, Perry was the guy – along with 4 Inuit guides who made the final part of the journey – with the aid of 36 sled dogs.  A dog by the name of Polaris was the lead dog for that expedition.  He was “Greenland husky.”  This breed of dog was later said to be the foundation for the Chinook breed.

And speaking of sled dogs, the first guy from Nova Scotia to complete the Iditarod, the Superbowl of Dog Sledding, did so in 12 days. The grueling race which is 1600 km long from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska took a toll on Bradley Farquhar, and reportedly there were several points during which he did not think he would finish the race.  But he credits his dog,Jerry, for pushing him the last 640 km.  He started the race with 14 dogs, but four did not finish due to sore wrists and shoulders. There are veterinarians who check the dogs at points along the trail – so no dog is allowed to continue if injured. Bradley was 44th of 52 racers to finish.  Joar Ulsom of Norway won the race in 8 days, 12 hours.

As usual, a dog event would not be complete without controversy.  Between previous doping scandals and animal rights protesters, the race is not without drama.  While some might argue that the race is too hard on the dogs, that’s what those dogs were bred to do.  Run and pull.  Just like us sheepdogs herd sheep.  Well some of us do.  Or some of us just eat sheep poop.

Anyway, the dogs MUST be well cared for – as they are under intense scrutiny. At MANY points along the race, it is just the musher and his/her dogs – so they better have a good bond.  Just sayin’.

Bottom line – congrats to Bradley for accomplishing his dream.  AND for rightly acknowledging Jerry – without whom it would never have happened.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!

Seizure-free days:  0 Yup.  Another one last night…We are so disappointed…

Helen quotes

Leave a Comment on Helen quotes

April 5.  And on this day in 1887, a woman by the name of Anne Sullivan taught a girl by the name of Helen Keller, her very first word: water.  This was quite remarkable because Helen was both deaf and blind.   I have actually written about Helen before…and as you may recall, Helen was a GREAT lover of dogs. 

http://viktorsviews.blogspot.ca/2017/06/helen-keller.html

She owned many dogs in her lifetime, including a bullmastiff, a French bulldog, a Boston terrier,  a Chesapeake bay retriever, and a Great Dane.  One of her most famous dogs was Kamikaze, an Akita who was a gift from the country of Japan – and in fact, was influential in introducing the breed to the US.

Helen became a famous author and lecturer and she was the first deaf-blind individual to earn a  bachelor of arts degree.

Helen wrote many famous quotes.  I like this quote which she said when asked what she would do if she could suddenly see:  “I should like to look into the loyal, trusting eyes of my dogs…whose warm, tender, and playful friendships are so comforting to me.”

I decided to take a few of her other quotes and pair them with some recent photos.  Hope you enjoy them!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
 Seizure-free days: 8 

 

Say cheese. Or not.

Leave a Comment on Say cheese. Or not.

So we know how life was grand and we were relatively well behaved on our outing to the ball field….well let’s just say that it is difficult to be good for too long.  We can write this story because LUCKILY there were no adverse effects due to a minor indiscretion by me.  Oh and Einstein joined in too…

 After our outing with Joanie, we came home and relaxed for the afternoon.  When we weren’t on guard duty.  Joanie headed back to her home and my human went to her mother’s place where she and her sister are finishing up their work there.  She came home at supper time, and we we were of course delighted to see her.  She took us out, and then fed us our supper.  She had run out of Liver Dust to put on the FG’s food – so since  he is THE pickiest eater in the WORLD -she took a giant hunk of cheese out of the fridge, cut up some tiny pieces and put them in with his food.  Not that this technique always works, because he has figured out how to pick out the good stuff and leave the kibble behind. But still, she tries. She also cut two small pieces of cheese in which to put my pills. She then fed us our dinner. The FG in the hall, and Einstein and I in the kitchen. While we were eating, she left us to do something in the bedroom. 
She was gone a few minutes and when she returned and went to let the FG into the kitchen, she noticed something on the floor under the dining room table.  “What’s that?” she wondered.  She picked up a piece of the mystery material and realized it was plastic.  Plastic wrap.  And the small bit that was left had a few letters visible: chee…. She immediately ran to the fridge to see if the big ( and I mean BIG) piece of cheese was back where it should be. Nope.  She looked on the counter.  Nope.  And then she suddenly realized what she had done.  She left a humongous piece of cheese ON THE COUNTER.  I mean we are talking like a 1 lb. slab of marble cheddar.  The cheese and the wrapping were gone.  The FG was immediately off the hook because he had not been in the room.  So she looked at both Einstein and me and  said “Who did this?”  Both of us smacked our lips.  Probably not the brightest move.  So then she got on her phone and went to replay the video footage on Big Brother.  She scrolled and scrolled.  And then she found the evidence.  She saw yours truly go into the kitchen.  And she KNOWS that sound when two of my feet are on the floor and the other two are grasping for the counter.  And then she saw Einstein run into the kitchen.  And then yours truly marched into the dining room, with my sidekick close behind.  And I was carrying the cheese. It was initially a bit challenging to get that wrapping off – but not to worry, between the two of us, we were successful.  She was suprised at how cooperative we both were.  And she watched as we ate big chunks of cheese.
Later that evening when we usually beg for a before-bed snack, she shook her head and said “no way.” She dreaded the next morning when we went out for our walk.  But no problems were noted.  And when she came home from work, she held her breath as she came in the door, waiting to see if the cheese had reappeared in a new form.  But thankfully, no.  
So despite our dietary overindulgence, we were fine.  And my human’s relief helped to outweigh her “disappointment ” with our counter surfing behaviour.  I’m thinking she won’t be making that mistake again soon.  But we’ll keep checking…
Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 7

The traveling circus

1 Comment on The traveling circus

Today is April 3, and according to the crazy calendar, it is American Circus day.  I guess a day to celebrate that once famous traveling form of entertainment that was popular for decades.  I’m not sure if Canada has a Circus day – but really, every day in our house is a circus….

So yesterday my human had the day off and Joanie was in town.  So Joanie asked if my human would like to take us canine kids up to the ball diamond again – since Joanie can provide much needed assistance.  My human agreed, and they headed up with us Three Musketeers early in the morning. The FG screamed for most of the drive – which thankfully is less than 5 minutes – because he was in his crate and Einstein and I were loose in the vehicle behind this crate.  We arrived and low and behold, the Lab that we met the last time was there.  Einstein threw himself at the window like Cujo, barking a “friendly” greeting.  Which of course set me off, and the FG was still doing his murderous screaming.  The Lab was standing on the  other side of the fence, barking as well. My human rolled down the window and told the Lab’s human that we were happy to wait until he was done. Well he decided to leave, since his Lab wanted nothing better to do than stand and bark at a carload of crazy dogs.  As soon as he left, we were unloaded.  And no sooner did my human step into the field that she realized: a.  She forgot poop bags and b. She forgot treats.  I’m not sure where her mind was – probably still suffering from a sugar crash after eating too many Easter Peeps.  So she left me and Einstein with Joanie in the field and raced back home, with the FG still in his crate.

When they returned, we had a BLAST.  I wanted to retrieve – which is my FAVORITE thing to do.  

Einstein just walked around sniffing and the FG ran, rolled and did partial retrieves. 

 I say partial because he gets all excited when you throw the toy and he races out, but the chance of having him bring it BACK is significantly less when we are ALL playing together.  My human noticed that he is MUCH better behaved when she takes him there on his OWN.  With all three of us, his attention wanders.  He behaves better with one-on-one training.

At one point, my human decided to see if Einstein and I remembered any of our heelwork training.  She started with Einstein – but when I saw what they were doing, I had to join in.  So she did what is called “brace” work – with two dogs working together. I have to be the one closest to her -because if I’m on the “outside” I forge way ahead.  Here is a snippet of us heeling together. Note bossy Einstein telling my human how to do it in the beginning.
You also see the FG, who had been making his way around the field, decide to see what all the fuss is about.  And Einstein informs him at the end that the treats are NOT for him.  
All in all, we had a GREAT time.  All of us were sufficiently tired by the end – and very happy.  We wish Joanie lived closer – she’s a true friend to participate on our traveling circus!  And the FG didn’t even give her a partial concussion this time.
Have a good one!  Peace and paws up!
Seizure- free days: 6

Dyngus Day!

Leave a Comment on Dyngus Day!



Well Happy Dyngus Day!  Just as my human has piqued an interest in butter lambs,  she is hoping to get people celebrating Dyngus Day.  Any excuse for a party.  What is Dyngus Day you are asking if you are new to my blog?  And not Polish.  Well, it’s holiday in Poland and it is celebrated by Polish Americans as well.  It is not a government holiday – but cities where there are lots of Polish Americans celebrate the day – South Bend,  Chicago, Pittsburgh, to name a few – and the OFFICIAL Dyngus Day capitol of America – and the birthplace of my very own human- Buffalo, New York.

Dyngus day marks the end of Lent – the day after Easter.  Some say that Dyngus Day is to the end of Lent what Mardi Gras is to the beginning of Lent. According to some sources, the pouring of water represents an ancient spring rite of cleansing.  In Poland, men would throw water on girls and also hit them with pussy willows.  Some would also spray them with perfume.  All to get noticed, I understand.  I BET they were noticed.  But not to worry- for those who are crying sexism -because the next day, the women would throw dishes at the men.  Seriously.  I am NOT making this up.  This is REAL.  Just like the butter lamb…
Anyway, today in the US, there are huge celebrations – like those in Buffalo.  We’re talking a parade and EVERYTHING.  I wish I was there – I would be marching for SURE.  I also understand that there is much eating, dancing, and the odd drink. Check out the website!!! 
https://www.dyngusday.com/
And be sure to read where the pussywillow got its name. 
I looked at the list of events and I see that Accordion Bill will be making an appearance at the Social Center of my human’s old parish.  And I thought the bagpipes had a unique sound…. Sorry to be missing that performance…. Maybe next year.
In looking through the photos and reading all the events,  I don’t see any with PONs!  We really DO need to go some day.  Now wouldn’t THAT make for an interesting blog…
So today, listen to some polka music and treat yourself to a shot of vodka.  If you are human.  And if you are canine, have a piece of kielbasa.  They say that everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s day – and everybody is Polish on Dyngus Day!  Na zdrowie! (Which sounds kind of like naz- drove-yeah). And it means PONs are great.  JUST KIDDING- it means cheers!
Have a good one.  Peace and paws up!
Seizure-free days: 5