We hiked! Also featuring the Tongue Game...Good luck!

Hi Everyone! Do you want to play a game?  It's called "Count the Puppy Tongues."  (Ok, so I totally made that up, can you tell?)
How many pink puppy tongues can you count throughout this post? Biggify if you feel the need.
Here an example of a picture with 0 tongues.

 

And  here is an example of a picture with 1 tongue. 

Got it? (I know it's not that hard, but a prize is involved, so I had to be clear.)  Leave a comment with the CORRECT answer and you will be entered into the drawing for a little goody!  The contest ends at 6pm (Tucson time) on February 28th, so you only have a few days.  Good luck!

Ready? Start counting from here...

We Hiked! 

We have stayed indoors WAY too much lately, but the sun was shining and we felt like an adventure. "Ye-Ha!" (That's Cowgirl talk for "Let's go ya'll.  I'm itching to hike!")

LL ties on my imaginary leash.  Freedom!  But I have to come when called EVERY time.

"No problem!"

"Come on guys, I'll lead the way to our special rock."

We found "our" rock.

It's a special place to take a rest.

Good thing, because Dexie was dead-dog-tired.

LL smelled "something funny." After a while she pin-pointed the cause of the lovely odor. It may or may not have been the cow poo-poo that I rolled in on our way to the special rock.  "Perfume of the  Desert Gods" I call it.  LL begs to differ.  You can barely see it in this picture, but it smelled GREAT and made my fur so lovely- trust me.

Good 'ol BM says: "That's ok, Sierra.  I'll hang out with you."
That's why he is my favorite peep.

That is also why I'm not even the slightest bit tempted to yell "Boo!" and startle him while close to the ledge. Although I thought about it... for a split second.

A hike in the desert wouldn't be complete without a picture in front of a giant Saguaro.

Hey! Where is BM going?

He found some more great rocks!

Dexie liked this one.  So did I!

BM: "Well girl, can you find our way back to the truck?"

Me: "No problem! Just follow me."

The END(s).

How many puppy tongues did you count?
Good luck!

A note from the Editor:  Don't worry guys, we had plenty of water for Sierra and Dexie and ourselves while we were hiking.  It was just a warm February day and they did a lot of running around.  We obviously got a lot of shots with them showing off their pretty pink tongues! =)

Tucson Rodeo Days

Look what I saw out my front door this evening.

Happy Rodeo Days everyone!

Happy Memories- A THANK YOU TO MAX

Lately me and the peeps have been thinking alot about dear Max who isn't doing very well. *sad face*
His Momma has encouraged us all to take the time to take "Mom and Pup together" photographs.  Fortunately, LL and I have had lots to pictures taken to document the great times we have together. When LL got home from work today we got out our pictures and found these taken of us when we were first getting to know one another.  Ah, happy memories! During that time we got to spend loads of time together.  Training her was so important!  I thought you may enjoy seeing these good ol' times photos of "Mom and Pup together" and a few more of me as a pup.  And a big Thank You to Max for reminding us about the importance of taking the time to remember the good ol' days, and to see each day together as a wonderful gift.  May we encourage you to tell your loved ones how much you love and appreciate them this week- even before Valentines Day.

Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.
Socrates

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.

Elbert Hubbard

It is not length of life, but depth of life.
Ralph Waldo Emerson  

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. Henry David Thoreau

 

 

  

 Happy Valentines Week! We love and appreciate YOU!

 

Formal(ish) Introductions: Part 4- Me! Warning- serious cuteness ahead.

January 2003...

LL: Lets go look at some Golden Retriever puppies.

BM: But we don't have any puppy food!

LL: Well, we aren't going to get the first puppy that we see. We have to research this.  We have to take our time and make the the best choice, silly.

They hop in the truck and drive the 2 hours to Sierra Vista, AZ where they saw this:

My beautiful mug.

LL: She's perfect, we'll take her!!!!!

BM: She IS perfect, but what ever happened to researching and not taking the first one we see?

LL: What are you talking about?  Just look at her sweet face!

*Scratch, Scratch, Scratch. Pen swishes over checkbook. Man holding checkbook has a very smug look on his face.  I lick it.* 

They were sold, and my work began. 

The peeps stopped at a big store on the way home and purchased puppy chow. (BM didn't rub it in that he was right- TOO much. ) They also got a DRD- a Dog Recording Device.  Known in other families as a "digital camera."

They started documenting what I was doing- and I started my work right away.  

 I slept...

cuddled wth Lovie Lady... 

 

and slept some more. (It was a long ride to my forever home.)

 

I trained  LL to give me treats.

Me: When I sit, you give me a treat- Ready?

Me: Now, give me the treat.  Good peep!

  

Training LL was hard work, so I had to sleep some more.

 I modeled for my adoring fans...

and caught up on my beauty rest.

  

I taught BM to give me treats too.

Me: Ok, lets go over this again.  I shake your paw, you give me that tasty morsel. Got it?

It wasn't all work, I taught the peeps to take time to play everyday...

  

and I even taught Uncle T the game of tug!

The peeps were coming along very nicely, but their training would not be complete with out learning to throw.

I taught them to throw balls...

 

and doughnuts...

 

It was hard work *yawn* but the peeps turned out just fine...

and I could finally sleep...some more.

Wordless Wednesday, from: Glacier Park September 2009

Formal(ish) Introductions: Part 3- Peanut, the face of pure evil

I looked up "pure evil" in an old dictionary and this is what I found: A cat with horrific mood swings...

  

  

  

...who, unsurprisingly,  looked just like Peanut! Wait...it IS Peanut.  

I'm sure he was nice once upon a time.  LL and BM have had him for 9 years and they think he's the best cat ever.  Although, sometimes they call him by his formal name: "The Honorable B.P. Fluffernutter Grumpous Extrodinaire".  Kinda' telling don't you think?  He was a little stray kitty that LL found when she and BM were dating.  He lived outside before they were married, but LL wanted him to be a house cat when they got a house of their own.  He was the Puma of the house until one day...

This is how he reacted when they told him they were thinking about getting a puppy (me).

He was not pleased.

When I came home, he was pretty sure I belonged outside.

Peanut: "Ma, please tell me that thing is staying outside!"

But I came in- except for the Kitchen, and he knew that.

Peanut: "Ha Ha! You can't come in here!"

Me: "Maybe if I just put a toe in LL won't notice."

The peeps thought he would warm up to me.

They thought wrong.

Peanut: "Ma, you've got to be kidding me."

The peeps pointed out how cute I was and how we were almost the same size and even the same color!

Me: "Help!  I'm not so sure about this. I think he wants to bite me!"

Peanut: "Hum...maybe I'll bite her and see how she tastes."

 

Fortunately he didn't bite much and asked to go outside.

Peanut: "Let me out you traitors, please!"

 And that is where he has been for 7 years now.

Peanut: "Which is just fine by me!"

He's a tough 'ol cat who has survived all these years in the desert and seems no worst for the wear. 

LL worries about him all the time but he won't come inside unless it's cold and raining.  Which is like never 3% of the year here in Tucson.

His major jobs are to lay in the sun, keep the pigeons off the roof, and to keep other cats from eating his food.

He is good at only two of those jobs.  I bet you can guess which two!

Picture: Random neighbor cat on our back porch, looking very well-fed.