Happy First Anniversary Aire Ruby!

We noticed on Ruby's blog that it is the first Anniversary of Aire Ruby coming up very soon! She and that plane have logged lots of air time taking dogs to pawties, ferrying nursies to sick doggies, taking us all to events like the stooper bowl and baseball games.

And now, Ruby and her mom are planning a special anniversary trip, with stops all over the place. I am trying to convince her to let the whole gang stop by Mayemphis. After we rest a bit at my new digs (less than fifteen minutes from the airport, where we can make arrangements for Ruby to use the Fed Ex runways) we can pile into the gussimobile and go to visit

GRACELAND!

Where we will park the gussiemobile Very Carefully

And get in the LOOOONG line of people waiting to be admitted.

I am sure that some of the girl dogs will want to see Elvis' memorial stone, and the jungle room and all kinds of other stuff, including cars and airplanes! Sort of boring to see planes if you are Ruby and doing all that flying, but we know that the accommodations on Aire Ruby are far superior to what Mr. Presley enjoyed.

Then, I thought we would wander on down to Beale Street around seven pm or so, and see the people who are just starting to enjoy their evening! They have live bands on almost every corner, these AWESOME acrobats who do back flips down the street, and lots of other stuff to see and try. Like...deep fried dill pickles, and barbecue, and lots and lots of blues.
There is almost always a crowd on the street, and there are lots of souvenir shops and places you can buy funny hats and T-shirts, and food to go or food to eat in, and ice cream and.....no kibble!
The only problem is that they let all kinds of people come down to Beale Street. Look at this couple in the foreground. Hardened criminals for sure! If we see them while we are there, we will have to run in the opposite direction! Man they are scary.

Anyway, I know that Miss Snickers will be here, I am hoping that she just hangs around after my recovery period so we can have some quality time together. And I figure if we have a plug for the blender, the nursies will either hang in there or come right back. And Teka is on the phone now calling the whippets to see if Swede William and the gang want to meet us here, or if they want Aire Ruby to stop and pick them up.

Looking forward to seeing all of you! Everybody bring gold cards so we can buy a lot of tacky souvenirs.

kisses
gussie

Rain, vets and other depressing topics

We have been getting lots of rain recently. Well, OK. It is NOTHING compared to what they have been getting where weatherman Jakey lives, but to a couple of desert dogs, it sure seems like a lot. Remember...Azrizona, where the sun always shines and the total rainfall annually is somewhere around 8.5 inches. And most of that comes after sundown. I think there is a rule about that. Anyway, we are having a hard time finding things to do inside.

Teka spent some time yesterday trying to figure out what that stubby thing that has been following her around is. She kept looking and looking, but she could never quite grab it.

Muzzer, on the other hand, has been polishing off her "ToDo" list. Unfortunately, one of the things at the top of the list was: Find a new Vet. And right below that: Take Gussie to meet Vet - Get Lump checked.

Now, I will admit that I have a bump on the side of my neck. My vet in Phoenix took some samples of the stuff inside it, and she said it was "fatty tissue" I know it is really muscle, and I am quite attached to it. The vet in Phoenix said it could stay with me until it got in the way, or until it started making it hard to breathe. There was also the option of "removing" it while we were still in Phoenix, but muzzer opted out of that one.

Let me tell you, I was greatly relieved. I figured me and Rodney would hang around together forever. I'm no dummy. I know that when they "remove" something they use knives! And they give you some Anti Setic so you snooze through the whole thing, and when you wake up, some favorite pieces are missing. After all, I have just supported my pal Jackson

through his recent surgeries. And I am (ahem) neutered, and I remember that I didn't much like that process. Anyway, when muzzer got on the phone and made the appointment, I figured I would charm this lady vet too, and Rodney and I would have more time together.

Woops, wrong again. This sweet looking lady (she is no taller than muzzer) said I was overweight. That was the first thing. Then she and muzzer started considering options. To "remove" or not to "remove," that was the question. And I paced back and forth and barked at them, but they did not honor my opinions. Sooooo...my muzzer, whom I diligently walk twice daily so she gets her exercise, whom I support by sleeping on HER side of the big bed, whom I protect, amuse and entertain...

my muzzer made an appointment for me to have my lump removed.

Anyway. On Tuesday morning I don't get to have breakfasts! And I am going to see that nasty lady doctor and have Rodney removed. And I am not in the least bit happy about this. So I have posted a picture of me and Rodney, so you can all keep us in your thoughts on Tuesday morning, around 8:00 ayem Central Doglight time.

Boy...I better see some of those nursies when I get out of that Anti Setic stuff.

hint hint

kisses

Gussie

Something for Stanley's girl and Lacie

While I am in England quietly celebrating Jackson's birthay/release day, I have asked Muzzer to post some fuzzy pictures for Stanley's girl and Miss Lacie. For some reason, both of them seem to like me furrier rather than wirey sleek and handsome. So...exspecially for them:

Fuzzy Saddle

Fuzzy Neck with collar

Fuzzy butt with tail attached

Fuzzy side view

Fuzzy Me with Fuzzy Feet

Love and slurpy kisses

gussie

Jackson Update

Y'all remember my pal Jackson, right?

He is the founder of the Substantial Wires Club (of which I am a charter member)

And he has recently had some really bad health problems. Tomorrow he will have surgery to remove a growth on his left lung, and without putting too many details here I will say that this is really serious stuff. Much more serious than anything I've ever had done, and I am very worried.

So I am posting his picture here, and asking you to keep him in your thoughts tomorrow, and prayers are great, no matter how long or what size.

Good Luck and Fast Healing Jackson

from your pal, Gussie

A visit with My Sissie

Y'all remember my sissie E.Beth, right?

She is the one who brought Teka to our house. And she is younger than E.Rabbit, but taller than E.Rabbit.

She came to visit us in Mayemphis this weekend! We did not have much notice, because the trip wasn't planned very far in advance. But we moved a few boxes of books to make a place for her to sleep, and Muzzer drove the Gussiemobile to Nashville to pick her up, because she made her reservations too late to fly right into Mayemphis. (don't ask, don't tell!)

Well, I was glad to see her, and Teka was surely glad that she came back from visiting with Swede William in time to visit. And Muzzer and Dad pulled out all the stops and showed her around Mayemphis. They took her to visit Rhodes College, which is where Dad will be teaching in a couple of weeks

Muzzer even let her take a picture of Muzzer and Dad with the camera!
Then they took her out to dinner and to Beale Street to see the crowds and hear the moosic.

They even took her to the Peabody to watch the duck parade! And they drove by Graceland to see the lines, and they went to the Art Mooseum, which is very close to our house.

Why, you ask, are there no pictures of Gussie and Teka here?

Because we did not get to go! And we did not get to ride to Nashville last night to stay in a hotel so she could catch her flight this morning at 5:52 ayem. We are unhappy dogs. We feel this is unfair. But .. because we were glad to see her, we are not going on strike. We will extract revenge in other ways.

I really would have liked to see those ducks

Gussie

Interesting E-Mail

Received this today from the Whippet Waggle:

Bäste Gussie:

Teka är här och vi gör bara bra. Tack och lov för Nearsighted anställda.

Teka kommer att komma hem i morgon.

Min chaufför kommer att föra henne till toppen av stegen, eftersom hon hatar det "staket".

Jag ser fram emot en lugn helg gäller för dig och de anställda

Swede William

Photos from Night Out

Yesterday Me and Teka were out on the back porch watching for people and doggies who were coming to our house for National Night Out.

Nope...no doggies coming from this direction.
Wait Gussie...I think I smell Swede William!
As you can see...she was wrong! Because the first doggie to arrive was Miss Asta, denizen of Noo Yawk, Roma and Lonk Geyeland! Swathed in yards of mosquito netting, she looked like a heroine from a nineteenth century novel. She dropped by on her way to nurse Jackson in the UK, and help him prepare for his tests today.
She even brought me a new adventure hat, complete with Mosquito Netting. Pawsonally, I think it looks better on her than it does on me. She also brought a lovely hammock for the back yard...but more about that later.
Here is Teka, making friends with our neighbors.

And here are the Barkalot Boys, come to play with the rest of us in the Back Yard.Teka, of course, had to zip back and forth between the groups, checking to see which bunch had the best snackies.

Would you believe this is the only picture of the Hooman Group we have without Teka in the middle of it. She is becoming a real camera hog.

That stopped, of course, as soon as Swede William and the Whippets dropped by! Teka was so busy trying to entice Swede William into the hammock, she forgot all about the hoomans and the snacks.

Soon it got dark, and it was time for all our guests to leave. We gathered along the front walk, and made a wish for Jackson on the dog star like Asta suggested. Lots of Tennesse Zen coming your way Jackson.

Our Hooman guests all live close by, but the doggie guests had a longer trip home. The Barkalots were gonna ride part way with Swede William and the crew on his limousine, so they took off about 10:00 pm for Paducah. We finished cleaning up the driveway and putting things away, and got ready to go for walkies.

OOps...Can the Whippets and the Barkies look around and see if Teka has stopped to visit either of them?

kisses from Gussie

Go See the Bone relay opening of the Pawlimpics

My friend Lenny in Indiana has posted the photos from the world bone relay on his blog today. Me and Teka are participants, and you can see us there. I had a hard time getting Teka to let go of the bone once she had it in her mouth, but I called in reinforcements (the two poodles from next door!) and we convinced her.

This is the first DWB Pawlimpics, and Lenny and his mom have been working hard advertising it. Go to his blog, see the pictures, and buy the t-shirt.

National Night Out, August 5, 2008

This Tuesday is National Night Out, and we are block party captains for our block. We are havin Tortilla Chips, Salsa (home made) Guacamole (holey schmoley) and Virgin Margaritas (sorry Lacie, no alcohol)

Muzzer said I could invite all my dog buddies, and Teka can too. Tomorrow we will post some pictures of our yard and porch, and if you want to come, you can copy the picture and put yourself in it, or have your hooman do it. We will have our virtual pawty from 7-9 pm. We are doing this because we know that Ruby is busy helping her hooman move to a new home, and we don't want to make her fly all over the place pickin us up. OK?

Muzzer says to be sure you all unnerstan that there will be NO fireworks (see above picture) and we hope no thunnerstorms (but we can't guarantee that.)

Oh, and it is a BYOMS party. That means Bring your Own Mosquito Spray. They are murder out there, and Teka tries to catch them, but she can only eat so many before they make her icky.

kisses
Gussie and Teka toy

Muzzer Apologizes

Muzzer offers her most humble apologies to Agatha and Archie, for not giving them proper credit for the Navaho prayer in the previous post about Jackson. And thanks to Sweet Lacie for telling us about the mistake.

Muzzer blames the extended absence from my wonderful vibes and her distress over the news about Jackson.

She gives treats when asking for forgiveness

Praying for Jackson

We found out this morning that our pal Jackson, the inspirational founder of the Substantial Wires Club, has received bad news from the vampire vets yet again! Jackson has a tumor on his lung, and we are all waiting anxiously to hear about the next round of tests, and whether they will be able to operate to help him. Please head over to Jackson's blog and take all your best healing thoughts and prayers along.

Scruffy, Lacey and Baby Stan posted the picture above this morning, showing prayer flags flying over Mount Everest, and many other doggies are posting stories about him too. We really want to help, but he is very far away from most of us (he lives in the UK) so we are doing the best we can by spreading the word about his illness and asking others to take a smile with them when they visit.

Muzzer is still in Tempe, working on selling the store. Gotta tell ya, I'm kind of glad she is there and not here. I just can't handle it when the woman starts weeping. She told me tonight on the cell phone that lots of people in the bakery where she is eating (good food and wifi connections too) are going to visit Jackson because they have seen her sitting there at her puter and weeping.

I will build a church in the wildwood

Where all of the doggies can pray

For friends and family far and near

And loved ones, far away

And I know that the powers will listen

And hear their pure sweet pleas

And bring their dearest wishes

And lift them from their knees

The dogs will have the wisdom

To know the answer's true

E'en though it may not be the one

That they would ever choose

So honor all the animals

As they petition raise

And wipe their tears and heal their fears

Make safe their loving days.

And here is a Navho prayer that Scruffy, Lacie and Stan also Posted.

House made of dawn
House made of evening light
House made of dark cloud
Dark cloud is at this house's door,
The trail out of it is dark cloud
The zigzag lightening stands high upon it
Happily, may I walk.
Happily, with abundant showers, may I walk
Happily, with abundant plants, may I walk
Happily, on the trail of pollen may I walk.
Happily, may I walk.
May it be beautiful before me.
May it be beautiful behind me.
May it be beautiful below me.
May it be beautiful above me.
May it be beautiful all around me.
In beauty it is finished.

Many more years of Beauty for Jackson and his Js

Gussie

Why I am among the Missing

havWanted to let y'all know that muzzer is in Phoenix this week, so I am not doing any blogging. I am trying to read and answer blogs, with some help from Teka, but we haven't figured out the camera and connection yet. So I will be busy storing adventures for when muzzer comes back! Til then, have a really great week, we will see ya Friday


kisses
Gussie and Teka

Me and Teka are on strike (again!)

Teka and I are on strike because of what they have done to our yard!
Remember yesterday when that truck came to our house?
Well, because of that we now refuse to go into our back yard
Teka just keeps watch from the porch, while I ignore the whole thing.
And it is all because of these silly white flag things!

When we go near them, they beep at us.

If we go closer, it feels like there are buzzy bees under my collar

Teka says it is the same with her, only worse, because she is more sensitive.

I can't even cheat and go through my shack with the red door because they are waitin for me at the back wall!

How am I gonna go visit my poor, sweet Miss Snickers, who has been asking for me constantly?

How is poor Teka ever going to see her Swede William again?

Stay tuned for the next episode.

Gussie

Whasssup!

This truck is sitting in front of my house, and there are two men in the back yard digging. To quote a wise dog "Wassssssup!

Oh My!

When last seen, the intrepid duo of Gussie and Miss Teka were "borrowing" the Gussiemobile

And heading off to pick up Teka's newest flame, Swede William and some of the Whippet Waggle in Kontucky.
As several of our friends pointed out, Gussie is in the driver's seat! However...that means Teka is navigating and working the pedals. Oops. So, who knew that Missouri shares borders with TWO states that begin with "K?" And that is how we ended up in Kansas first. Teka's reading skills are not much more than basic, and she got konfused by all those Ks on the map.

No harm. After a brief stop at Stella and Stanley's house, we headed due east (sort of) to have another try at finding Kontucky.

Fortunately, Teka was there visiting only about a week ago, and she followed the trail of Swede William's pheromes right to his door.

Now, Willam was waiting for us, since me and Teka had been calling on the cell phone, and he and his fellow wagglers
Lindy Loo
And Sam I Am (the therapy dog), were ready to go with us to the pawty for Miss Snickers.
Sweet Delia decided to stay at home with Bill, her personal servant.

The other members of the waggle wanted to use the opportunity to have some quality time with their main servant, and help her with a little problem that developed.

anyway...as you might know from Butchy and Snickers reports on the party, even with all the detours, we were the first group to arrive!

We didn't get there too early though, as Aire Ruby landed soon after.

Need I say that a good time was had by all, particularly the Birthday Girl and her pals Asta (NY) and Lacie. We waded, we ate birfday cake, we had a mud spa, me and Butcho mud wrassled, oh my, indeed a great time.

BUT...the weekend ended too soon, and we had to head back to drop off the whippets and rescue muzzer and dad. Oops. Big miscalculation.

Me and Teka R in the Dog HOUSE. We are in the doggy big house. Things are so bad that we are getting an electric fence installed tomorrow! Muzzer and dad were not amused. I guess they didn't understand the mud on (and in) the gussiemobile. Oh well....silly hoomans that they are, I am sure they will forget to turn the fence on some morning and me and Teka can have another excellent adventure.

Until then...Gussie reporting from Mayemphis. Sigh.

Breakout!

Gussie Here! Early this morning, me and Teka had a great idea. While the parents were loading the Gussiemobile for a trip to Cape Girardeau, me and Teka did a Mapquest search...Well, from Cape G. to a certain town in KY it is not very far. And then, from Paduccer to Iowa is an easy stretch.

So we dognapped the Gussiemobile, and took off to pick up Swede William and his Waggle. We will be reporting on our adventures. I just hope Teka really knows how to work those pedals.

gussie

Left Field

I know I am late, but hey,,,,we're travellin' dogs! I want to thank my pal Koobus
and her mom for the fantabulous job they did with the All Star Game. And particularly for the promotion to left field! Muzzer and Dad have always insisted that this song is about me....and they sing it to me:



Saturday summers, when I was a kid
We'd run to the schoolyard and here's what we did
We'd pick out the captains and we'd choose up the teams
It was always a measure of my self esteem
Cuz the fastest, the strongest, played shortstop and first
The last ones they picked were the worst
I never needed to ask, it was sealed,
I just took up my place in right field.
Playing...

chorus:Right field, it's easy, you know.
You can be awkward and you can be slow
That's why I'm here in right field
Just watching the dandelions grow
Playing right field can be lonely and dull
Little Leagues never have lefties that pull

I'd dream of the day they'd hit one my way
They never did, but still I would pray
That I'd make a fantastic catch on the run
And not lose the ball in the sun
And then I'd awake from this long reverie
And pray that the ball never came out to me
Here in... (chorus)

Off in the distance, the game's dragging on,
There's strikes on the batter, some runners are on.
I don't know the inning, I've forgotten the score.
The whole team is yelling and I don't know what for.
Then suddenly everyone's looking at me
My mind has been wandering; what could it be?
They point at the sky and I look up above
And a baseball falls into my glove!
Here in right field, it's important you know.
You gotta know how to catch, you gotta know how to throw,
That's why I'm here in right field, just watching the dandelions grow!


Peter Paul And Mary RIGHT FIELD lyrics