Some Answers for Koobuss!

Little Koobuss has this fun tag on her blog, and since muzzer and I are such sports nuts, we got tagged to tell you all about our favorites! So get ready, you all may have to do some historical research to find out about some of these teams!

1. Favorite Major League baseball team – St. Louis Cardinals

2. Favorite NFL team – Minnesota Vikings






3. Favorite college football team – Minnesota Gophers

4. Favorite NBA team – New York Knicks ca. 1970s with Bill Bradley, Dave Debusscher, Earl “the Pearl” Monroe and Jerry Lucas.

5. Favorite college basketball team – Minnesota Gophers – again from the 1970s, with the exception of the “fight squad” of 1972
6. Favorite NHL team – St. Louis Blues, ca 1966-1970




7. Favorite minor league teams, if you have any - Memphis Redbirds



8. Favorite individual players, any sport, if you have any Bill Bradley, Luis Gonzales, Stanley F. Musial, Ozzie Smith, Earl Monroe and Albert Pujolz










9. Favorite NASCAR driver – um……

10. Favorite golfer –Gpapaw (Grandpa)






11. Favorite tennis player Billie Jean King








12. Any other favorites you have that are not on the list, such as high school team, college alma mater, etc..................... The Rivermen at UMSL








13. Favorite mascot – Goldie the Gopher





14. Favorite team colors – Blue and Gold
15. Best looking uniforms – Men’s Basketball, ca. 1973, Baseball uniforms 1930-1955, Knute Rockne era football uniforms
16. Worst looking uniforms – Men’s professional Baseball and Basketball in the US NOW !

We're just wild about.....

Our blogfriend Just Harry is celebrating Harry Day in honor of the day he was 'dopted by his family. In honor of this special day, we have composed a special song just for Just Harry. It is set to the tune of (aha!) I'm Just Wild About Harry which muzzer says was Harry Truman's campaign song. For those of you who are much younger than she is...here is the URL to hear the tune of the chorus: http://froggyeve.tripod.com/sounds/ofe_harry.wav

Now...A song for Just Harry


We're in love with Just Harry
And Harry loves us you see
We brought him home and gave him scritchies
They fill him with ecstasy

He likes to play games with Jakey
And sit upon his mommy's knee
So We're in Love with Just Harry
And Harry's wild about - Cannot live without
His Plantation Family

My Favorite words....

My blogger friend BLUE has challenged my family to choose our favourite word and explain why we chose that word. She explained that this is part of a UNESCO project to promote literacy in third world countries, and that British MPs , poets and politicians are taking part, and the results will be compiled into a book which will be sold to raise funds for the Education Action program.

Blue chose the word HOPE because it is one of optimism. Muzzer explained optimism to me this way: "Teka embodies optimism. She KNOWS that this time she will get to your food before you do. She KNOWS that someday muzzer will take her to the store. She KNOWS that she will be able to sprint out the door the very next time it opens." So now I understand that hope and optimism can be very hard to live with.

Muzzer and I have been discussing this off and on for the last few days. We are feeling rather bad because Blue actually requested our participation on Saturday! That was more than three days ago, because her time is way later than Azrizona time! Three days translated to dog years is almost a dog month! That means I am really delinquent.

The problem has been that muzzer and I are coming into this assignment with very different ideas about what our favourite word is.

Muzzer has these ideas that sound like she has been spending too much time with Dad! She comes up with words like justice and fairness and equality.

My favourite words are food and snuggle and scritches and treats and walkies.

And we were not coming any closer to consensus either.

One time, muzzer even brought out THE FINGER and pointed it at me, and shook it hard! Muzzer was a teacher when she was younger, and she still has a license to carry and use THE FINGER! And all of us who live here know that we must respect THE FINGER and listen to it carefully, for it carries with it the wisdom of teachers and the power of muzzer. Even Teka sometimes listens to THE FINGER so you know it is very powerful.

This has been going on for two and a half days now. I must tell you

that I was completely worn out! I needed a nap. While I was having my nap, I had a lovely dream. I dreamed about muzzer and Dad and our first car ride together. I dreamed we were back in Virginia with E.Rabbit and Grandpa and Uncle Steve and Aunt Jane. I dreamed about all of our trips together. I dreamed about Aunt Marie and Uncle Ray. I dreamed about E.Beth and Teka. And it was such a nice dream that I woke up knowing what my very most favoritest word is!

My most favoritest word is Family!

Family means everything to me...it means food and treats and snuggles and scritchies. It means love and acceptance and understanding. I even means Teka and Travis. And, since I think of my blogger friends as part of my extended family, it means all of you too!

When I explained this to muzzer, she agreed that Family is a very important word, and well worthy of being my favorite.

So, it is probably not gonna make the compilation, but it is MY FAVORITE WORD!

KISSIES TO ALL

GUSSIE

PS...I borrowed Blue's way of spelling favorite because it looks so lovely!

Remember Kaiser?

You all remember Kaiser, right? He is the little puppy who was stolen from his house during a robbery, and we posted his story for our friends. Many of you who live in his area told us that you were keeping a hopeful watch for him, and others wrote from way far away to share your hopes and good thoughts for his recovery.

Then a bit later, when most of us had given up hope, Kaiser was found and re-united with his family. He was in rough shape, so the celebration in his honor was postponed for a while. Now he is obviously doing better, and we are all invited to a celebration in his honor this coming Sunday. Here is the note from his friend Jacque, with all the details:

"It took us a little longer than expected, but Kaiser is now healthy and ready to meet all the people who helped in his return. We are meeting at 9 a.m. - Noon, on Sunday, September 9th. (That’s 9/9 at 9!) We are going to meet at Eldorado Park in Scottsdale, at the East Ramada. The East Ramada is North of McDowell/South of Oak and on 77th Street. 77th Street is East of Miller.

Please bring your dog. This is not an off-leash area so bring your leash. (That’s another story all together.) We want you to come even if you don’t have a dog! We are asking that everyone who helped, no matter if you just called to say you were thinking and praying for Kaiser, forwarded the email or whatever---attend. We can’t wait to meet all the amazing people who knew us or didn’t that came to our rescue and were our heroes. And please forward this to all those you sent the other Kaiser emails to.

Don’t forget we will have a truck there to collect donations of unopened bags of dog food (or any pet food), new dog toys, collars and leashes or a cash donation; all will be donated to the local shelters and some of the rescue groups in Kaiser’s name. (Sometimes the dollar stores have a good variety of collars, toys, etc., and Ryan’s Pets has cheap toys.)

We are going to have a couple special guests in attendance; Mary Hosman who is the owner of A Pawsitive Experience Too, LLC, Professional Pet Sitting. Mary has been providing loving pet care in Gilbert and Chandler since 2002. For additional information, please visit http://www.pawsitiveaz.com/ , http://us.f538.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Mary@PawsitiveAZ.com 480-720-7600. And Donna Yuritic, who is announcing a new book just released. Donna is a certified Animal Chaplain. ANIMAL ANGELS: PAWS TO REMEMBER, her new book is about how to talk to your children about the loss of their animal companion. Donna will be on hand to sign books and to talk about her Ministry, Compassion For Creatures. Her website is http://www.compassionforcreatures.com/ and you can order a book by e-mailing her at http://us.f538.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=cyorprodonna@cox.net Books are $14.95 plus shipping. Part of the proceeds benefit Az. Humane Society and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. There might be some representatives of some of the rescue groups too.

We will have water, soda and light snacks. Be sure to bring your camera to capture all the wonderful pets and people!"

Muzzer seems to think that I should not go, because I am not well behaved around other dogs, but we will have someone there and will try to post some pictures of Kaiser and the other dogs. Thanks once again for your help and support.

Gussie

Labrador Day

Me 'n Teka are having a confusing weekend.

We know it is a holiday, 'cause Dad and e.Beth are both off tomorrow. And we were sure we heard muzzer say that tomorrow is Labrador Day.

So last night, we had our baths, and went to bed early. But when we got up today, we started to get things ready for Labrador day.

We figured for sure our friend Travis would come to visit. He hasn't been to visit since muzzer pulled out the carpet and had slickery stuff put down on our floors.

And we waited and waited. But no Travis. No Labra Dory. No Labradors at all!

Then, I was catching up on reading blogs by my friends, and when I got to Joe Stains' blog, there was Tanner saying it was Lay Bore day. Not a day for Labradors, but a day to lay around and do boring things.

Well, that means that almost every day is Lay Bore day for me 'n Teka! Except when I go to the store to work. And then, that would be a Labor Day for me. So, this must not be a very good dog holiday, not like a Birthday for sure.

Anyway, what with the bath last night and getting up early this morning for chat, I think that I will just say "Happy Labor Day" to our humans, and try to go to bed early again tonight.

So, Happy Labor Day humans and many happy returns. Keep that Kibble in the bowls and toys upon our throw rugs!

Kissies

Gussie n Teka

Pee SSSSS

I definitely think Labrador day is a good idea! I must see if I can get Bussie's mom to head up the campaign.

A Noble Cause

We just visited over at Nanook and Pooka's blog
(http://nanookthenewfy.blogspot.com/) and read this story about Archie, a therapy dog in need of an operation. That is his picture with one of the abused children he lives and works with. He needs an operation, and the home where he lives is short on funding for vet fees. Yes, Nanook and Pooka have a link where you can contribute to a fund to help pay for his operation. And yes, me and muzzer made a contribution in Oscar's memory, And yes, you can do that too.

And yes, you may now be excused to go click on the link and read the story.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Kissies to all

Gussie

Scattergories

Jackson tagged me again, but this time it seems like kind of fun! It is called "Scattergories" and muzzer says she has played it at parties.



Here are the rules:
Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the questions. They must be real places, names, things ... nothing made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.


My name: GUS
1. Famous Singer: Garth Brooks
2. Four letter word: Gosh. As in "Aw Gosh, Jee Whillikers!"
3. Street: Gallatin Street in New Orleans (happy anniversary, muzzer and Dad!)
4. Colour: Geranium, a bright pinkish red
5. Gifts/Presents: Gold, as in Gold, Frankincense and Myrhh, famous gifts
6. Vehicle:1963 Gran Turismo Hawk by Studebaker (muzzer, your age is showing again!) Not to be confused with the (relatively new) Maserati Gran Turismo, which is so expensive it could pay my way through college!
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Giant Pencils, which look sort of like a bone, which is why I ate one!
8. Boy Name: George
9. Girl Name: Gwendolyn
10. Movie Title: Gone with the Wind
11. Drink: Gin and Tonic with lime.
12. Occupation: Gardener
13. Celebrity: Cary Grant - muzzer swoons. Not only that, the man has acted with a wire fox terrier!
14. Magazine: GQ. I have been invited to pose in my bow ties!
15. U.S. City: Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana (Music Man)\
16. Pro Sports: Golf is G-papa's game
17. Fruit: Graperfruits - they grow in my back yard!
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Grumpy, Dopey and Sleepy!
19. Something You Throw Away: Garbage
20. Things You Shout: Get away Teka
21. Cartoon Character: Gumby


I am tagging: Asta NY, Asta Down Under and Mitch and Maggie, when they get back from Nantucket!

How Many WFTs does it take....

Perfect Tosca has challenged all doggies to write the answer to.....

How many (your breed) does it take to change a light bulb?

My pal Jackson, always on the ball (er, on the bulb in this case) has already done WFT's, so I asked Teka to tell us how she would change a light bulb.

Well, I would run in circles beneath the light bulb, yapping loudly and taking my graceful little leaps into the air. I would occasionally run to the corner of the room and try to dig a hole, to see if I could get to the light bulb that way. I would run to muzzer's purse or the table and steal something that smelled good and consume it beneath the light bulb. I would take Gussie's favorite toy and drag it over and shred it to pieces beneath the light bulb. I would charge at Gussie and try to nip his ear.

Then, one of two things would happen.

Either, the light bulb would get tired of watching me and come back on all by itself.

OR...I would get bored and go away and bark at something else.

Now, being of a slightly philosophical bent (nurture, not nature here for sure) my approach to changing a light bulb would be slightly different than either Teka's or Jackson's:

*I would begin a dialogue with the light bulb, and attempt to find out whether the light bulb really wants to be changed. If the light bulb did not want to be changed, I would engage in a discussion about whether it was his/her right to decide not to be changed, if this was a free will decision on her/his part, and how this decision would affect the common good.

In the event that his/her decision would negatively affect the common good, if, for example, a human coming through the room in which the light bulb is located might be injured because of the lack of illumination in that area, we would then discuss whether changing the light bulb would infringe on the rights of the light bulb to a greater extent than not changing it would affect the greater good of the populace.

We might also discuss such issues as the amount of energy consumed by the light bulb, and whether that was an equitable and fair use of the energy, or whether there were greater needs for energy not being met because of the use of the light bulb. Or, perhaps we should investigate what options the light bulb has for change, and how that would/might affect future decisions. If the light bulb has never before exercised free will, for example, if she/ he has never refused to illuminate the area when asked to do so, or if he/she never expressed a preference for being in a lamp rather than being in an overhead fixture, might that negate her/his option to exercise free will in this instance?

There are a number of other issues which are raised, but in the end, should we reach consensus on the desirability of changing the light bulb, or perhaps in better terms, replacing the light bulb with one that is willing/able to function in the role of illuminating the room I would call my local handyperson/electrician and request that she/he come to the area where the light bulb needs or desires changing and I would have the electrician/handyperson change the bulb, because I am a philosopher's dog, and I do not change light bulbs.

*with apologies, respect and admiration for my dad, who writes like this most of the time!

Middle Name?

Hello all! I have been tagged to tell you my middle name and what it says about me. This seemed like a fun challenge, until I started thinking about middle names.

You know, I don't think I have one. I mean, Teka's is easy. Her middle name is damn dog. Or maybe dammit. Cause that is what muzzer calls her when she gets angry. And my sister E.Rabbit told me that that is what middle names are for. So you can tell when muzzer is mad and straighten up quickly.

So, I have been trying to remember what muzzer calls me.

Gussie Baby

Gussie Sweetheart

Gussie Gussie

And, when she is mad at me, she just says "Gus Dagger" in this big voice! I don't need no middle name. I know I had best move back into line!

So, just to prove I am up to the challenge, I am doing my whole name, but not the honorific, OK (wft, you know..like phd and lld and mba and jd and all those others)

Gentleman

U R So Cute!

S weetheart

D arling Dog

A pple of Muzzer's Eye

G reat Help

G ood Boy

E xtra Special

R emarkable!

So, how about that. If this looks like fun, consider yourself tagged, OK. Cause most everybody has done it now, because I let Teka take a turn.

kissies

Gussie

Teka's Tune

We have been tagged for a couple of things....., but I promised Teka Toy yesterday that she could post a song, and she has been working on it very industriously. And I hate to disappoint her, 'cause the payback is always horrible.

So here is Teka's new Tune. And we will do the tag thingy after work!

kissies from Gussie:

OK....TEKA TOY HERE! I HARDLY EVER GET TO BLOG, BUT WHEN GUSSIE WROTE HIS DUMB PIGEON POEM YESTERDAY, I WAS INSPRIED TO WRITE A SONG ABOUT.....

ME!

Title: I'm a Jack Russell (lyrics by Teka Toy, music "I'm a Girl Watcher")

I'm a Jack Russell

I'm a Jack Russell...

Watchin things go by, my my my

I'm a Jack Russell, I'm a Jack Russell...

Here I go now, bow wow wow

Gus was just a boy when

I ate all his toys

And found a new pastime to dwell on

Whenever I detects

a new toy or a bone

I use my teeth and jaws upon one

(repeat chorus)

Gus can never tell

But my, it does feel swell

To Just Destroy a stuffy squirrel

Wonder if he knows

That I’m chewing really slow

Just bring that bone a little closer

(Repeat Chorus)

My mission in this life

Is to cause noise and strife

And if it's sitting still I'll eat it

I haven't met one yet

That I couldn't chew to death

And then just find a rug to Poo ON!

(Repeat Chorus) (endlessly)

There's Birdies in my neighborhood

They're pigeons and they sure look good

With lots of feathers and little round tummies

They make me think of raw food yummies

Today on walkies just at dawn

Me n Teka stumbled on

A pigeon lying on the ground

Looking like he just fell down

I grabbed the middle, Teka a leg

And muzzer dear began to beg

"Oh drop it please, let go, don't chew

That birdie is not good for you!"

But me n Teka were intent

What muzzer said made not a dent

On terrier minds with bird in mouth

Our little sense went quickly south!

But YUCK, that pigeon tasted bad!

And feathers, Wally's never had

A bird with feathers on the back

A bird with head and eyes intact

And so I dropped the fattest part

And spat out feathers for a start

And Teka tried to drag it far

But got distracted by a car

We left that pigeon lying there

For some big dog who likes meat rare

Or several cats who need their dinner

And think our pigeon looks a winner

When we got home to our surprise

There was a gleam in muzzer's eyes

She said "no kissies, either one

Until this chore is finished, done!"

And then she brushed our mouth and toothies

I swear, she even cleaned my roofy

It made me thirsty so I drank

and would you know, no longer stank

Of dead bird bits, and feathers fluffy

You know, that bird was sort of scruffy

And probably it was not so tasty

As scrambled eggs wrapped up in pastry

Or even doggie kibble mixed

With yoghurt, like my muzzer fixed

For me and Teka just this morning

When we got back from walks at dawning

Compensation

The mailman brought this new toy thing in a package addressed to muzzer today! I have seen these before. Butchy and Miss Snickers have one, so it must be the greatest fun thing ever.

Wellllll....it isn't a lot of fun, but it isn't terrible. To humor muzzer (and because Teka was VERY jealous) I sat on dad's lap tonight and let muzzer run that thing over my back. Seems to me she is starting a Gussie hair collection! She got a pretty big bunch of hair off in a very short time. Then I got restless and Dad let me get down. Then Teka jumped on Dad's lap and muzzer laughed at her. Then I jumped up and reached over the edge of the table and snatched that bunch of hair. Then I ate it. Then muzzer stopped laughing. Then Dad started laughing. Now I am supposed to ask if it will make me sick if I eat my own hair?

Muzzer went to work today and when she came home she had this new kind of doggie food for me to try. I have been very picky lately, not really wanting much except my frozen green beans at dinner time, and only picking at my breakfast food. Friends, if you were here in Azrizona, you would not want to eat much either. But muzzer did not listen to me, and she said we would tempt my doggie taste buds with a more premium brand of dog food.

Well, I figured I would give it a try, because after all, how bad can it be? And I did still get my green beans with dinner, so I figured it wasn't going to be all bad. Right?

So, I started eating very slowly. And then I ate a little more. And you know, this is pretty good stuff for dog food!

And the result is..........................................

Empty Gussie dishes on the mat. We will see, this may be boring or something. And I wish the package was a bit more quietly elegant. I mean, all that gold stuff is pretty flashy, and I am definitely more of a Brooks Brothers guy like my dad.

But the food is good, and it goes well with my green beans. And all the parents had for dinner tonight was leftovers anyway. So we shall see.

And, today I met a new friend named Blue. She is the one who tagged A&A for the food question, and she is a friend of Jackson's and probably lots of other terrier types. And she knew about Oscar and his blog. And you know what? She lives near where my friends Alison and Solly live, they were with us in Virginia last year, and now they are in Baton Rouge, but they go back to their home for summers and holidays. So I am going to write Alison and Solly and find out if they know Blue! This is a picture of Solly and his mummy when he first came to Virginia! It is almost two years old now, and Solly has gotten bigger, because boys do. I wish he would come and visit me soon.

I've Been Food Tagged?

Our pals Agatha and Archie food tagged me today. Now, before you get upset about the mess, let me assure you that this is just another in our ongoing series of "getting to know you" blog spots. And, since food is "one of my favorite things" this is an easy one for me. (I'll bet you already know a couple of them!)

Number 5! PRETZELS You know, these are almost as good as dog bones! And my very favoritest pretzel is the Gus Pretzel from St. Loulis...that we got at the Soulard Market that Saturday. But me and dad ate them too fast for muzzer to take a picture. So these are some pretzels I got from Ivy for Valentines Day!





Number 4! GUMBO! This is better than dog food any day! And so is most of the food that muzzer cooks! But this is yummiest because of the vegamables and shrimpamables and crabbabbles in it! And it smells so good when it cooks. I even ate my rice that night! mmmm yummy in the Tummy!

Number 3! KONGS! The purists among us would insist that Kongs are not strictly foodables. However, in our house, they are wonderful surprises and come stuffed with the most marvelous foodables and topped with PEANUT BUTTER! And they make me happy even if muzzer has left for a while. And they last a pretty long time, particularly if she freezes them.

Number 2! STEAK AND SHAKE!

Oh Steak n Shake I love your burgers, made of beef upon the bun. Oh Steak n Shake, I love your french fries, golden crisp and newly done. Away, I'm far away, from the wide Missouri.

And of course,

Number 1!!!!!!!!

C'mon guys, you could have guessed!

If you want to play this tag game, you are it.

Muzzer says she is boring, her list is almost the same as A&A's mom, except she would put bread first, and then olives, and after that, wally melon and who cares!

I put it down to the heat. She just doesn't want to cook

PS: Today we got an e-mail from Mackie, Finnegan and Ollie and their mom, Melissa. The folks active in rescue in Texas have rescued some more fox terriers from a puppy mill place and they could use some help with funds or willing hands. If you want more details, leave us a message here and we will put you in contact with the terrier rescue folk. They do good work all over the country. I came from the Washington DC group myself!

Kissies

Gussie

Muzzer's big splurge!

As you all know...it is VERY hot in Azrizona. Frying eggs on the sidewalk is not a joke here. Muzzer does it all the time (not really!)

In a good year, we can have six or seven holidays in the summertime, much depends on when Easter/Passover is scheduled, but at the very least it is summer for Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Halloween. And if you count holidays like Flag Day, Bastille Day, VE Day and VJ Day, well, that is a lot of picnics where it is too hot to eat outside.

Me 'n Teka have been deprived this summer. Lots of Doggies out here here have Puppy Pools! Some lucky dogs even have REAL swimming pools (Miss Rose did, for example.) But Me 'n Teka have been making do with the ratty old ugly hose, and this tin monstrosity that muzzer dragged out of the storage room.

I don't care if it is a hair loom. I don't care if Dad did take his bath in it when he was a little boy. I don't care if E.Rabbit and E.Beth had a lot of fun in it when they were tiny children.

It does not meet my minimum requirements, and Me 'n Teka have been telling muzzer that for a long time!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!

Muzzer went to the store today and she came back with this lovely puppy pool. Finally!

She hauled it into the back and put it in a sunny spot on the patio. She said "Gussie, see this? It is like the one that Butchy and Miss Snickers have in Iowa. We will fill it with water now, and when the water warms up, you and Teka can come out and play!"

Stupid Muzzer, this is Azrizona! The water that came out of the hose was VERY warm. It was about as warm as bath water. Certainly warmer than the water in the fountains in St. Loulis! Anyway..she tested it with her toes and said "Oh My! I guess you can get in right now!"

So Me 'n Teka did just that. And we had a great time. We splashed. We tried to get those fishies to play with us . We stuck our faces in the water. I, Gussie, tried to dig a hole in the water. That did not work, and I will have to go to school sometime soon so I will understand why.

Dad explained that you can't dig a hole in water, but he couldn't 'splain why. He said Physics was his worst grade in college, or somethin like that.

After my refreshing swim, I dried off in the sunshine on my grass. Then I got back in all over again and played some more.

When I got out the next time, I dried my face on muzzer's skirt. She thanked me for being so considerate, since it made her legs cooler.

Then Me 'n Teka went into the house and ran and ran and ran, until we were all dry. Muzzer followed us with a mop to make the paw prints go away. We try to include her in all our games. Tonight for dinner, we are having tacos, like Joey and Doofus did. A suitable meal for a happy day. 'Scuse me, I gotta go play in my puppy pool!

kissies
gussie

Trumpets Blare Forth!

Vote for Jackson!!

My Pal Jackson has been nominated as the "Bravest Pet in Sussex" and I would appreciate it lots if you would go and vote for him. Ahem, Or, for any of the other very brave pets listed there......but !

Here is the URL to read the stories about Jackson and the other nominees.

http://www.pets-brighton.com/awards.html

Now, I may be a bit prejudiced, because Jackson IS a WFT, and he IS a rescue (like me!) and I like to read his blog and hear about his adventures, BUT.....

I think if you visit Jackson's blog

http://jacksonsworld-jackson.blogspot.com/ and read this excerpt from my muzzer's e-mail you will understand why I support him as a candidate.

Jackson, my 8 year old Wire Fox Terrier, has reached the finals for the Bravest Pet in Sussex Award, here in the UK.
Jackson has had a really tough year; firstly he was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease last August. While this was being investigated at the veterinary hospital he was also diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism . He had a malignant tumour removed from his neck in February this year and in June had 40 kidney stones removed.
We have had several anxious moments with him and he's been rushed to the vet during the night on more occasions than I care to remember!
However, in typical fox terrier fashion he is such a determined little dog. He acts as though there is nothing wrong with him and in fact most people think he's the picture of health and vitality! His resilience is amazing and he has recovered exceptionally well and is now able to go out for walks again and play with his toys which are his 2 favourite occupations.


Thank you for considering a vote for my pal Jackson!

Kissies

Gussie

I have permission from Jackson and his mum to post this on my blog.

No gratuities or monetary compensation has been offered or accepted for this post.

Home Again!

Yesterday was our last day to drive on this road trip. It was a day of great achievement for me.

I am supposed to wear my harness when I ride in the car. It is to keep me safe, according to muzzer. Yesterday I got strapped in as usual. But no one checked the straps. And I have lost weight since we drove to St. Louis, and have recently noted that there is considerably more wiggle room in the harness. AHA! Yesterday I used that wiggle room to squirm out of my restraint! Of course, I stealthily made my way to the front seat, and my favoritest spot in the whole world! Muzzer's lap!
Then I carefully checked out the shoes and travel ephemera that she keeps there! Scored a cashew that got away from Dad, and got to sniff muzzer's sneakers. Cashew was better. Well, short of pulling off in an emergency stop, there was no way these two were going to wrestle me into the back seat again. And with one of them focused on driving, the odds were even more in my favor. So, I spent the time until lunch happily warming muzzer's lap and watching the clouds from the front window.
Unfortunately, this was not a great cloud day.

I did not see a Butchy and Snickers cloud. I saw one cloud that sort of, kind of, looked like Boo Cassanova, and if I squinted really hard, I could almost see Oscar in the cloud at the very top of this picture, rolling on his back and being silly. Muzzer said we sometimes see what we want in the clouds, and that she did not really think it looked like Oscar. She is the cloud expert, and she is probably right. Directly after lunch at a patio cafe in Payson, I went back into the back seat and the harness was tightened to my new, slimmer girth. Curses! No more front seat adventures this trip. We got home and Teka was still here, so my prayers have not been answered. She did not elope with Tanner(ito). Ah well, it is company on AM walkies.

From Tempe, Azrizona.

Kissies

Gussie

update and apology

First of all, we had some great news from my sister E.Beth today. Remember Kaiser, the lost puppy? Well, he was found! Here is the information from her e.mail.


You should be just waking up to the great news; around 10:45 pm last night we got a call from Kristine’s sister Kim that someone called her off something we posted and asked if she was missing a dog. Long story short, Kaiser was found wandering in the area of 56th Street and Thomas after two weeks. He is in great hands the person who found him has a friend who is a Vet student and they are cleaning him up and caring for him. His ears are fine but he has some scrapes and scabs, has a lot of ticks and is thin. But the video they sent Kim is definitely Kaiser. We had gotten a lead on Friday from someone who met someone on Craig’s who was trying to sell him but felt it was a sketchy deal more than a week ago, we did our best but we hadn’t gotten anywhere with it.

Four of us were at the Nickelback concert when I got the call to get Kristine on the phone. Kristine went to the foyer, I followed and as she sank to the floor in joy, relief and shock I yelled so loud the band had to have heard and I ran back to our seats to tell the other two and text message everyone in my phone. Kristine will pick Kaiser up tomorrow and they want to verify with the chip that it is him.

All of us who have been helping Kristine have so many great stories of how amazing people have been. The last couple of days Kristine had gotten overwhelmed and defeated and I was feeling like the momentum was lost. What a great way to end the night and this long ordeal my friend and fellow dog lovers had to endure.

So being the event and fundraiser person I am I had discussed with Kristine what we were going to do when we got him back to celebrate. Please, please send and forward this to everyone you sent to and make sure they know that we will be having a Welcome Home-Meet Kaiser Party at the Chaparral Dog Park at Hayden and McDonald Road this Sunday August 19th. We still have to work out some details and time (probably in the AM) so I will send another email. But SAVE THE DATE!

We are asking that everyone who helped, no matter if you just called to say you were thinking and praying for Kaiser, forwarded the email or whatever---attend. Please bring your dog, unopened bags of dog food, new dog toys, collars and leashes or a cash donation; all will be donated to the local shelters and some of the rescue groups in Kaiser’s name. I will send more information but for right now we are happy and want to thank everyone! You did it!

So, me and muzzer are happy we could all help, and we say THANK YOU! to all of our friends who did cross posts and helped send good thoughts to Kaiser and his owner .

Now, apologies to all my blogging friends. We have had two consecutive days with lousy internet service in otherwise OK hotels. We have been keeping up as much as possible, and will catch up by this weekend, we promise!

Oh yeah, and for those of you who have been moving my little pin or flag across your map, we are in Gallup, New Mexico tonight.

Gettin our kicks on Route 66!

Gussie, Muzzer and Dad

Good Bye St. Loulis

Good bye Sofa where I slept
Goodbye Chair and Windows Too
Goodbye fireplace with your logs
Gussie's on the road where he does blogs.

Tonight we are in Arkansas. This is my Third new state this trip.

Kansas, Iowa and Arkansas.

I liked Iowa best, cause that is where Miss Snickers and Mr. Butcho are.

I'm glad to be heading home. More tomorrow

Kissies from ar Kansas

Gussie

caveat emptor

ughhhh. I feel that in the interest of full disclosure I must tell my blogging pals that my tummy was upside down for two days after I ate the white castle. We did scrape the onions off, but some onion juice must have stayed on the meat. So, while the little square patty and bun were delicious, I would advise my pals to exercise caution.

Muzzer notes: it might have helped if he had chewed the thing, rather than gulping it whole!

New Product Report (2)

OK, pals. I know that when Nooka and Pooka do this the products are uniformly good for us and fun to play with. So, I, Gus Dagger WFT will take a slightly different approach.

First Product: St. Louis today was very hot. Muzzer said "Gussie, we will try your present from E.Rabbit and see what you think of it. Then we will have an interesting blog for tonight." Yeah, whatever.

E.Rabbit got me this KoolOff Pet Bandana in New Orleans. It has Tabasco sauce labels and peppers on a white ground, with red piping. My size in this is a Medium. I have worn it before, but not "activated" it so to speak. So this morning, we read the instructions after we got home from our morning Walkies, and put the bandana to soak in a yellow bowl of water. note: the instructions do not specify a yellow bowl. That is all we have here.
Once it had soaked for 20 minutes, muzzer put it in the freezer. Then we took our shower (muzzer showered, I watched) and when we were just about ready to go visit Aunt Re, we took the bandana out of the freezer and put it on my neck.

Woowee! It was pretty chilly. It kept me cool until the car air conditioner started working, and when we got to Friendship Village, a lot of my friends there thought it was a good idea.

I think it is a good product for summer days, and will continue to use it in Azrizona. The instructions say that it can also be warmed in a microwave, and right now, I can't imagine using it that way. Muzzer says, however, that she may try it that way next time she gets a bad sinus headache. I don't know how a warm bandana on my neck will help her sinuses, but....we will report if it is an efficacious use of the product.

I recommend this to my doggy friends who are feeling the heat this summer. I might like to buy an extra extra large one and sleep on it sometimes. I did not find the fat roll of activated kooling crystals uncomfortable, but smaller dogs might find it cumbersome and heavy. They could then take it off and sleep on it.

AHEM....Nooka and Pooka's mom should not read any farther. I do not want my muzzer picked up by the ASPCA and carted off to bad doggy muzzer jail. At least, not until dad gets back from Poland.

So, this being a hot day and all, Muzzer asked what I wanted for dinner. And of course, my answer was "ICE CREAM!!!!" But muzzer thought we should have something good for us, and something that we don't usually get when dad is in town. So I thought we were going to end up with some strange Japanese noodles like last night. But no.....we hopped into the Gussie Mobile, fired up the AC, turned on NPR and cruised on down to the local

WHITE CASTLE! Muzzer, whatever happened to eating something good for us? Wouldn't ice cream have been better?

Muzzer said "Gussie, you owe this to your public. You must compare the burgers from White Castle with your favorite Steak n Shake original double and report your findings."

She also reminded me that a number of my loyal readers had recommended White Castle in our most recent poll.

By this time, I was convinced. Plus, that bag smelled soooo good I almost made us have an accident on the way home. I was trying to get to it and the brake pedal got in my way. Boy. I thought I wasn't going to get ANYTHING for dinner, she was really P O'd.

We did make it home safely, no thanks to yours truly. Can you see the interesting pattern the grease has made on the bag? Hmmm.

We had ordered a single, a double and an order of fries. Oh yea, and muzzer's drink of choice, a large caffeinated carbonated dark brown beverage.

This is what our dinner looked like. One nice thing about these burgers, we did not have to say, hold the mustard, ketchup and special sauce. There isn't any. They come equipped with pickles and purported onionables, though that is questionable. They are square. They are relatively small. The do not require much chewing action at all.

But, I found them yummy. I still prefer Steak n Shake, because the burgers there seem to be made of a real meat product. But I would say that these will do in a pinch. The fries were good, they are crinkly, not skinny and they stayed warm longer than the skinny Steak n Shake ones. I thought the box thingy's were pretty cute. I managed to steal one and discovered that they taste a lot like the burgers. Hm.. more observation and testing are required here.

Anyway, I don't drool quite the way Nanook does. But I give both of these products a pretty high Gussie rating. See. Don't I look like a pretty happy puppy here.

Muzzer says to enjoy it while I can....Cause dad gets back on Thursday, and there won't be any more White Castle when he gets here. However, there also won't be any more Japanese noodle things, so I think I can handle that.

Reporting from St. Louis, Missouri
Gus Dagger
Roving Reporter.