Scratchings-and-Sniffings

It's Summertime in the Mountains!

Ok, here's the real scoop in case you're still hiding under a winter blanket - summer has arrived! Oh, don't give me that squinty-eyed stare and say, "Summer started the 21st of June, Yvonne." Summer solstice aside, summer made an early appearance in the mountains, this year, and I hear from friends all over the country that she tiptoed into their backyards early, too. Now, she's settled in and the temperature is going sky-high!

<<<<< Here's our Emily after a long walk around the neighborhood, where she was lucky enough to chase a few frisky rabbits! I get such a kick out of that lolling tongue!

What does summer really mean? It means lots of warm weather, rain, sun, fun on the walks with the fur-kids, and... those pesky fleas and ticks we all HATE! It's time to get those pups and kittens treated. After all, they look to us for all their care and buckets of love and attention won't deter fleas and ticks! 

>>>>>> And here's Olive after a walk, ready to take out her "Emily never waits up for me!" anger on a stuffed toy! BOL!

We do a lot of walking and these dogs do a lot of sniffing and they meet other dogs on our daily jaunts. We have a lake nearby and lots of people have fountains in their backyards - all things that attract those little buggers that can cause a lot more damage than just a skin rash! What kinds of things are you doing to protect your fur-kids from fleas and ticks? Hop over to our Facebook page and post some pics of your pets - and tell us about your flea and tick worries! 

<<<<< Check out Chester lolling about after a walk. He knows where the best seats are! (oh, the Wabby, our resident senior citizen kitty- going on 20! - is oblivious to it all. She rarely leaves the house other than to nose around the backyard a bit - but, she can still get fleas and ticks from the dogs, if they bring those nasty bugs home! This is her with her doppelganger Flat Self, which attended BlogPaws this year because the 'real' thing doesn't travel well.)

And while you're at it, 
enter the "My Pet Loves... Interactive Sweepstakes". Simply share a photo of your pet, and a note about what your pet loves, and you'll be entered to win a monthly prize award of $500!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRONTLINE Plus. The opinions expressed in this blog post and the text are mine. 

We went, we laughed, we came home exhausted!

BlogPaws 2012 is over. It's hard to believe. As someone who loves each and every conference, and who is part of the enormous planning involved, I am always surprised on Sunday morning...after all the sessions, the speakers, the keynotes, the fun, the food, the laughter... to wake up and realize, "It's over. We're done. Everyone is either packed and checking out, or packing right now, to check out."

I don't have a whole lot to share as far as the sessions or pawties or such. I was there...sure, but I was constantly on the move. So, I hope you'll check the Facebook page and everyone's blog posts and stay tuned for my insights as I think of them. Right now, I'm still a bit tired. Trying to play catch up. Working on the usual follow-up (with sponsors and attendees and speakers and the hotel and more).

Here are a few pics from the event. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: A Treat from BlogPaws 2012

Out in the 100 degree heat!

I Thought I Saw a Puddy Tat! by Emily

Wordless Wednesday <while Olive, Tom and Yvonne are on their way to Salt Lake City for BlogPaws!>

 

Tango Makes His Way

Short sweet posts going forward. We're busy packing for our trip to Salt Lake City and BlogPaws! 

See Tango the firedog (Dalmation - I wonder what the story is behind Dalmations being 'fire-house dogs') and Dayna Hilton, his mentor, as they get ready to make the cross-country trip to the big city of Salt Lake, where Dayna is presenting a session on Live-streaming. 

She says this is mostly Tango's stuff. BOL! 

The BlogPaws team probably has that much and more - we're bringing ourselves and two dogs - Onyx and Olive. See you there!

The Power of the Doodie Pack!

I'm not a great photographer so...the pic below lacks a bit of effect. But, suffice it to say that Chester and Olive are sporting their new Doodie Packs in this picture. We got them about a month ago from the fab company Doodie Packs, located in my old hometown of Rochester, NY. 

The Doodie Pack is like a ... well, backpack for dogs. Kristin Elliott, the woman behind the Doodie Pack, is a lot like me... she saw a need and she filled it. Specifically, the need was for dog folk, like myself, to have a neat, colorful, durable backpack kind of thing to put on our dogs when we walk them... to help carry stuff. And, by "stuff" I specifically mean... doodie stuff. The stuff they leave in the grass (or on the sidewalk, why do MY dogs always do it on the sidewalk?)... 

What do pets add to your life?

Olive snoring

Pets add more than love, to our lives. Pets are the emodiment of ourselves. Don't you project your sense of life onto your pet? Really... don't you think your pet feels just like you do - about everything? <see Olive here, taking a morning nap... making me jealous!> 

Well, the life pets bring to each of us is beyond measure, of course. But, in the end, when you adopt a pet, or bring a treasured pet into your home from a reputable breeder, you are beginning a lifelong focus on love and happiness.

My pets were and are there for me, in thick and thin. Dogs will snuggle up to you when you're down - they don't necessarily understand your tears, but they "feel" your pain, and...they want to take it away for you. They rejoice with you in happiness - oh the utter joy of a dog bounding up in delight, sharing the laughter the only way they know how - by licking your face!

The Story of Pandora

Don't you love a good story? With a happy ending? I do. I even like sad endings, sometimes.

Purina Cat Chow is doing a story focus, until July 31st this year at www.yourcatstory.com - so check it out. More a bit later on this.

Pandora, aka The Grumpy Old Lady and Wabby Wibby, is the resident feline at our house (see pic here where she is helping me blog). I would love to have a couple of more kitties but... she is not too tolerate of other cats. Dogs, sure...she manages them. Cats get a swat with her paw and a hiss and I get a really dark glare! Mind you, I don't think she would *do* anything - she's not a fighter, but it's clear she prefers being top cat. At the ripe old age of 20, I defer to her desires. Wouldn't you?

Talking Cats and Talking Dogs

If you haven't seen the ultimate Dog Tease video, you can access it at the end of this video below. However, this one...an Ultimate Cat Tease video is so hilarious...because of the surprises... I had to share. Now, don't close it or click out...you'll think it's done when there's more to come... the ending is the best of all! Gotta love it!

 

Yoga at BlogPaws!

Ok, so... a little BlogPaws news, folks. In the form of a Tout video from none other than our COE - no, that's not a typo. COE stands for: Chief of Everything...and she is! We couldn't have BlogPaws without her! She blogs over at Snotface & Twiggy - but she usually writes about Onyx. LOL (you can meet Snotface at BlogPaws... just saying... oh, Snotface is a ferret! )

In case you're not familiar with Tout, we have a Tout professional, from Tout, speaking at BlogPaws this year. Here's the skinny in a nutshell - Tout is video Twitter. So, you get 15 seconds to make your point. 

Yep, 15 seconds. It's amazing what you can fit into 15 seconds when you want to. Check it out: (and check out the topic - it's jeans-friendly yoga and yes, you can bring your pets! w00t!) Oh, and visit the BlogPaws Tout page for more of the COE and her witty reparte'!