Go CJ!

“Here’s a job I didn’t know about,” Spence says. “Some dogs, including this chocolate lab named CJ – many thanks, Linda Lombardi of the AP – work as conservation detectors. CJ’s based in Gig Harbor, Washington, but he’s worked all around the world.”

“Doing what?” says Admin. “I don’t get it.”

“For example,” Spence says, “CJ was trained to sniff out the indigo snake, found only in the deep South. It’s suffering from habitat loss so CJ helped establish its current range. CJ can find the indigo snake’s scent when it’s down deep in the tortoise burrows it holes up in. CJ has also worked on maned wolves in Brazil, bobcats and bats in New Mexico, and spider monkeys in Nicaragua.”

“Sounds like something a certain someone might be good at,” says Admin.

Snakes? Is that what this is about? I’ve dealt with snakes more than once. That time down on the border! Is that in To Fetch A Thief? I don’t even want to think about it.

Welcome Dougal, Indy.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, March 19th, 2011 at 9:13 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

93 Responses to “Go CJ!”

  1. B.Stover
    9:20 am on March 19th, 2011

    Chet might be good at it but he’s best being a PI with Bernie. That’s an interesting article.

    Good morning Chet, Spence and Admin….and all the Plunderers who seem to be sleeping in….grump!

  2. Mollypop
    9:20 am on March 19th, 2011

    I haven’t been able to post much this week, but I have checked in and followed all of the excellent iditarod reporting. Thank you all for that! That was new to me and so enjoyable that now I can’t wait for next year.

    Yea Whitey!!!!!

  3. Mollypop
    9:27 am on March 19th, 2011

    Hi B.- Mom made us go to bed even earlier than usual. Yesterday she hauled a lot of books for a Salvation Army book drive. She has more to do today. Can you imagine, Mom found some books that had been on the coffee table and their corners were chewed! How could such a thing have happened? Beats me.

  4. B.Stover
    9:32 am on March 19th, 2011

    Good morning Mollypop! I’m sure you didn’t do any chewing of the coffee table books. You are completely innocent!!

    Dawson did an excellent job of reporting last night. Way to go AJ and WL.

    The chickadee is in the garden making his “hee haw” call.

  5. B.Stover
    9:42 am on March 19th, 2011

    This was posted seven hours ago on Facebook by Kelly, Justin’s sister:

    “They just posted Justin crossing the finish line on the Iditarod insider, it shows him lifting Whitey up to high 5 the arch. Great clip. As you can tell I am pretty proud of my baby brother, the Snowhook team and his wife!”

  6. Staff
    10:20 am on March 19th, 2011

    Good morning BStover and Mollypop, I am traveling back to the Twin Cities today so I have to close down the computer. Just wanted to say hello before I go.

    Thanks Dawson for the news on AJ and Whitey last night. I just finished reading all of yesterdays blog.

    Now I have to pack some more stuff for my summer in Minneapolis. All I have down there are winter clothes.

    BBL

  7. Barb & Maggie
    10:28 am on March 19th, 2011

    Good morning, all! So glad Whitey and team made it. What an accomplishment for all.

    We read Natasha’s explanation to Rio, as to why she lost her accent in her one post. Very funny and believable, too.

    Bee, Barb wrote an email to a friend this morning and in rereading it she went “Oh no, a comma splice”. She corrected it, and was thanking you for that. See, she isn’t too old to learn new tricks!

  8. Wolfie
    10:45 am on March 19th, 2011

    Hello everyone. I have been in Lurk mode all week. Excellent reporting on the big finish, by the way.

  9. B.Stover
    10:59 am on March 19th, 2011

    Hi Staff. Safe trip.

    B&M: I’m laughing!

    Wolfie: We’ve been wondering where you were. Everything okay?

  10. Melanie
    11:02 am on March 19th, 2011

    Everyone excellent reporting. I’m so relieved that they are in. Now I will have to research some video or photo of their finish.

    I did not sleep in. I wanted to sleep in, but HA! YASA called soon after 7 AM to tell me his back, hip and leg were in such pain, he couldn’t sleep. As soon as I listened to him and suggested nice things (not what I really wanted to do; HANG UP THE PHONE), Zoë came in hardly able to move. She has twisted something in her back.

    Whew, so I called our go-to guy Jesse, woke him up, picked him up, he packed up the garbage, I took it to the dump, stopped to get something I don’t have to cook for supper (finally going to have our Reuben sandwiches), came home, did the kitchen, gave Zoë some breakfast, finally sat down to drink some Coco. Yes, I did all that (really wanted it to be one whole sentence) on no caffeine.

    It takes 3 people to run this house and Pack. Zoë and I have been 1 1/2 people for awhile. Now I have to sit on both parents and be three people. YIKES!

    Spring is coming! THANK DOG!

  11. Melanie
    11:10 am on March 19th, 2011

    Sorry about the rant. Feeling better now.

    Hi Wölfie, B. Stover, MollyPop and good luck Staff.

    I googled “AJ Snowhook WhiteyL Iditarod finish”
    then hit images.

    Hmm, nothing from the finish, but there were pictures from Snoowhook (they have a 2011 calendar now) and Chet’s blog. In fact, here is one of the pictures!

  12. Melanie
    11:10 am on March 19th, 2011

    Good looking dog there, but the musher is weirdly dressed.

  13. Riö - The Evil Pug
    11:14 am on March 19th, 2011

    Whitey!…. Hearty Congratulations to Whitey, AJ and the Gang!….Wooooo! ….snort!… Holy cow I bet they were so tired last night….wuffle!…What an accomplishment

    Melanie!…It sounds like you run the Iditarod every day what with all you have to do day in and day out to keep everyone alive at your house….grunt!

    Boxes!…Well we have to go downstairs because she needs to clean out the little storage room. All of those boxes of stuff that no one here has used in the last couple of years are going over to her mother’s house for the big yard sale coming in June….wheeze!…At least I will get a couple of car rides out of all this moving stuff about…heh!

  14. Wolfie
    11:29 am on March 19th, 2011

    Confusing headline in the Huff Post today: Obama meets with Brazilan ex-Gorilla leader.

    Makes no sense to me. I didn’t know that gorillas had leaders!

  15. Wolfie
    11:32 am on March 19th, 2011

    Bee, thanks for asking. I still have that cold, and I miss my boys something fierce.

  16. Wolfie
    11:36 am on March 19th, 2011

    Rio, I hope you find peace with your big decision.

    Melanie, that cute dog looks just like our Macy the min pin!

  17. BearSpiritDog
    11:54 am on March 19th, 2011

    Good Morning All!

    Chet! Snakes – oh, no…we don’t like them either!

    Mollypop: I know those books were “like that when you got there”
    I chewed up a favorite book of Nana’s once many moons ago, but somehow that excuse didn’t work for me.

    Congrats to AJ, Whitey-Lance & the Snowhook team for their first finish in the Iditorad! Looking forward to seeing picture of the finish B mentioned. Also checking into that 2011 Snowhook Calendar, Melanie.

    A reminder: Tonight is the Super Full Moon. Anyone up for joining me in a Howl?

  18. Melanie
    11:55 am on March 19th, 2011

    On the web cam there is activity.
    Tom Thurston is running a young group of dogs and should be the next one in.
    He left Safety at 5:13 am, running around 8.9 m/h.
    It’s now 6:53.03 am.
    Seems to me that would be a bit early, but maybe his dogs are really running.

  19. Mollypop
    11:56 am on March 19th, 2011

    Wolfie – That cute dog is Kirby at a lacrosse game.

  20. dawson
    11:59 am on March 19th, 2011

    I agree with Bee: Chet would be good at being a Conservation Detector but he already has a job and he’s great at it, although the pay could be better.
    Wolfie! Wonderful headline. And that’s Kirby with his ears, attending a Lacrosse game. My heart goes out to you without your boys but I’m glad you are not living in the craziness they were generating. Do you hear from them, or about them, sometimes?

  21. Melanie
    11:59 am on March 19th, 2011

    Someone just came in!!!

  22. Riö - The Evil Pug
    12:01 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Wolfie!….Is there any good reason you could not have combined all three of your posts into ONE post…grump!

    Loaded!…Well our Subaru is loaded up with crap so we are going to take it all to the Dump, otherwise known as her mothers house…heh!…We will have to come back for a second load…sniff!

  23. Siber-H
    12:03 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Thanks for the great reporting from last night…mom and I got caught up on it this morning before we went to the dog park.
    I just watched the video of Justin and the gang at the finish line in Nome. Justin picks up Whitey…Whitey-Lance is smiling and totally relaxed…not at all stressed. It is a very brief video clip of Whitey.
    Justin says that he slowed the dogs down at Ophir and then the dogs later decided to slow themselves down, as we all already know. Justin also said that he missed his wife. Rebecca is in the Video clip greeting them and wiping away a tear. Justin is only 36 so I hope he returns to do the Iditarod again.

  24. Melanie
    12:08 pm on March 19th, 2011

    I don’t know if this is going to work. I’ll try to mess with them in photoshop to see if I can do anything with the picture, but it’s a pretty lowres camera.

  25. Wolfie
    12:22 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Ack – of course it’s Kirby! Silly me!

    I have talked to both boys. Cody’s friend has a pitt bull who just got into a dog fight and wants us to take him. We have six cats and 3.5 dogs. I think the dog is going to a rescue, and hopefully will find a good home. Chad is mad at me because I have NEVER done anything to help or support him.

  26. dawson
    12:31 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Wolfie: More time is needed. They need to be able to stand on their own. When they stop asking you to rescue them and blaming you for their situation…then they will start to realize that what you did was the right thing, the only option you had left. Then they will be strong and healthy enough to come back to you and tell you they were wrong, they are sorry and they love you. It takes a long time. More power to you.

  27. Melanie
    12:50 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Wölfie: You could give all your blood and then some and children will never see that. Children are very “me” oriented. It is when they become adults that they begin to realize what they were like, and actually start apologizing.

    I tried to improve the picture, don’t know if I did. I believe it is Tom Thurston coming in around 7 am Nome time.

  28. Melanie
    12:57 pm on March 19th, 2011

    I remembered! BARB & MAGPIE!
    National Poultry Day!
    I’ve been saving this picture since I saw it on the National Geographic web site!

  29. Melanie
    12:59 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Snifflenits!
    Try again.

  30. B.Stover
    1:04 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Neat pictures Melanie.

    Wolfie: Listen to Dawson and Melanie. They are experts and their advice is excellent.

  31. dawson
    1:08 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Melanie: Beautiful poultry. I like snifflenits! I do not function well without my caffine in the morning.

  32. Siber-H
    1:16 pm on March 19th, 2011

    So, we are suppose to eat chicken today? I’m up for that.
    We have a dear neighbor that has started taking a cake decorating class. They are already giving away cake to the neighborhood. This is going to be fun.

    BearSpirit, I’ll join you moon howl tonight. The few clouds we had this morning have melted away, so it should be a beautiful sky tonight. The super moon will come up behind a mountain from my vantage point After these past two weeks at the computer, mom and I need lots of fresh air anyway.

  33. Riö - The Evil Pug
    1:38 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Chickens!….How could I have forgotten Poultry Day?…heh!…We are back and someone is loading up the Subaru again for the second batch of crap…snort!… We both need a little break. It’s hard work getting rid of stuff…sneeze!…Dusty too!…All that is left in the storage room are empty boxes and a tall pastry shelf thing which is useless for storage…grunt!…That is going to the yard sale too. But she has to wait for her brother who has a pickup truck to haul it over to her mothers….sniff!…I bet chickens would love to roost on those shelves…heh!

  34. B.Stover
    1:43 pm on March 19th, 2011

    I’m testing my new school laptop.

  35. B.Stover
    1:48 pm on March 19th, 2011

    I was going to roast chicken tonight anyway. My blog didn’t connect before from here so now I’ll see what happens.

  36. B.Stover
    1:50 pm on March 19th, 2011

    I just noticed that one of my former students is now a follower of my blog. Cool!

    This is a very nice laptop–a notebook by Fujitsu.

  37. Riö - The Evil Pug
    1:51 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Grump!…Another useless post pushing us closer to the nightmare that is Page Two. Why doesn’t everyone just type one word at a time if thats where you want to be so damn badly!…snort!…Goodbye. We are hauling stuff over to the dump….grump!

  38. Natasha the Nefarious Borzoi
    2:10 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Dear Rio – try this little one

    Vag more
    Bark less.

    You vill be happier doggie

  39. Wolfie
    2:33 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Thanks everyone. I have been doubting myself, and the recent decision, and have been down in the dumps.

    There are lessons that I cannot teach them. I have tried.

  40. Wolfie
    2:39 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Bee, will you be teaching summer school? I am so glad that you are feeling better.

    It is supposed to rain here, but hopefully we’ll get a glimpse of the Super moon. I can’t wait!

  41. C. Harris
    2:45 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Wolfie: your sons need to miss you for being YOU not for what you do for them. And, you know, sometimes there are children who never mature enough to do that–love them anyway but be careful and be strong. Your life, your rules.

    Natasha: that is going to be my motto also: Vag more. Even though it is +2 outside, it feels so cold and I have to go to town on errands. So I am going to treat myself to lunch and hot chocolate as a reward.

  42. Barb & Maggie
    3:02 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Wolfie, You are getting good advice from everyone. Stand strong, even though it is hard. You did the right thing, for you and for them.

    I see that the blog police are at it again, so we will blog more….

    Happy Poultry Day, everyone! Thank you for the beautiful chicken pictures.

    Since it is a full moon, we will go out to the garden tonight and do our moon dance. Barb will make a wish and I will howl for both of us.

  43. Melanie
    3:04 pm on March 19th, 2011

    C.Harris: If were not for hot chocolate I would never wake up.

    Looks like Scott Jansen is headed in. Group of people at the finish. Looks like it’s snowing a bit.

    It’s 36 degrees here, but that’s better than +2! 🙂

  44. dawson
    3:04 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Dear Wolfie, Your mom’s job is to “detach with love” and it is not easy. It requires constant vigilance. She needs to get herself happy and healthy so she can be a good role model. Easy to say…hard to do…one gets better with practice.
    It’s sunny out after a week of snow. I’m off for a walk.

  45. Melanie
    3:35 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Scott Jansen is in to Nome! Unfortunately, the camera only takes a picture once every minute so I missed his entry. That picture from Tom Thurston’s entry must have been a fluke to catch it on camera.

    You can sort of see the celebration here.

    Wish I was there . . . Me, Siber-H and the Newfs!

  46. B.Stover
    3:45 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Rebecca posted this on Facebook about an hour ago:

    “Internet access is limited. With joy I welcomed AJ and team to Nome last night. Twig & Rory led him to the finish with passengers from my round-about flight to Nome (long story) chanting “153!,” the number of our flight—friends are where you find them…

    AJ lifted Whitey-Lance so he could touch the burled arch with his paw! Photos… & updates to come when I return. Thanks for being in Snowhook’s corner!”

  47. B.Stover
    3:47 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Wolfie: I’m not teaching until the fall semester (end of August) and that will be my final semester before I fully retire.

    CHarris: I hope you start feeling better. Hot chocolate is always good.

    Rio: Get over it.

  48. Barb & Maggie
    4:10 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Forgot to mention that Barb hit her favorite used book store today. No luck with SQ, PA or Laura Levine, but did find 4 Tony Hillerman hardcovers. Total spent w/tax $10.00. Can’t beat that!

    Hate to ask this because we will probably get smacked up side the head (verbally), but what was Rio’s friend’s big decision that she made yesterday? New job? New puppy? Please let us know, as we missed it, and must have been reading every other word.

  49. C. Harris
    4:10 pm on March 19th, 2011

    B. Stover: thank you.
    Rio: 🙂

  50. Siber-H
    4:20 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Thanks for the photo Melanie. Yes, I wish I was there…me and the Newfs could party with Whitey-Lance and the gang. tee hee Mom and Melanie could go shopping in Nome…just kidding because they both hate to shop. They could go to the beach and stand and look out at the sea ice. People are still finding gold nuggets on the Nome beach.

    Stover, thanks for the news that we will be hearing more from Snowhook. All of them must be exhausted right now. The Mushers Banquet will be tomorrow evening. I am sure Justin and Rebecca will attend.

  51. BearSpiritDog
    4:37 pm on March 19th, 2011

    B. Thanks for the update!
    Melanie. You mentioned a Snowhook Calendar-is there a link?
    Siber-H. Thanks for joining me in a Super Full Moon Howl!

  52. Wolfie
    5:33 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Barb,

    I don’t think Rio mentioned what the decision was. All we know is that a decision has been made.

    I’ll be howling in the moonlight also, unless it is pouring rain.

  53. dawson
    5:51 pm on March 19th, 2011

    BearSpritDog: Me too! I’m going to howl. I’ll join you, Siber H. and Wolfie. By the way, I don’t think I ever told you how good looking you are.
    Remember I said I was going for a walk in the sunshine? I had a nap instead. Just woke up. Now I’m going for a walk in the sunshine. It is dripping out there. Whoopee!
    For Rio: 🙂 🙂 🙂 😉 😉 😉 Wish I was Lexi so I could do more.

  54. Wolfie
    6:00 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Lexi! I miss Lexi! I wonder how she is doing?

  55. Riö - The Evil Pug
    6:27 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Holiday!…. Have any of you guys ever seen that old movie with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn called Holiday….snort!….We came home a little while ago and she was very tired. Her back is aching from lifting all those heavy dusty boxes in the car then out of the car. Plus some had to be dragged down the stairs at her mothers house….wooooWeee!…We came home and she is tired out…sniff!…Me too cuz I had to follow every step and get in the way all of the time…heh! …Anyways, she popped that old movie in and we have been watching it. It’s a really good old movie and the dialog is excellent!…grunt!

  56. Barb & Maggie
    6:38 pm on March 19th, 2011

    When all you dudes are howling at the moon, don’t forget the Chinese tradition of standing in the garden and making a wish. That’s what we are doing tonight. Lots of moon dust will be sprinkling down on us.

    Speaking of gardens, Barb started clearing one out so she can put in some of the super early stuff in a couple of weeks. Spinach, onions, swiss chard, and some other hardy veggies can go in early. With food prices skyrocketing, more people are going to be planting a garden this year.

    Who are the green thumbs out there, besides Staff, Melanie and Mary? Dawson, are you up for it?

  57. B.Stover
    6:56 pm on March 19th, 2011

    B&M: Do herbs count? That’s what I grow.

    Rio: I don’t think I’ve ever seen that movie.

  58. Melanie
    7:03 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Old movies . . . where dialog meant something.

    On the look out for the full moon. Not up yet.

    SpirtBear: The link I didn’t lead me to the calendar. I guess you could email them?
    I really want them to come out with a mouse pad with WhiteyLance’s picture on it.

    Very tired. Almost got everything done. My sister is spending the night. Zoë says she’s feeling better (probably the pills).

    I think I’m going to find something to watch . . . looked on TV and NOTHING.

  59. Barb & Maggie
    7:21 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Bee, I think herbs count. We just found some Italian parsely that survived the winter, along with oregeno and thyme. We thought the parsley was an annual, so were some what surprised. Also have some regular gren onions and a leek that made it. That is not counting the bunching onions that just keep multiplying every year. Rhubarb also is peeking thru.

    I think Barb is going to put in a movie. Something she got from Netflix. Our Family Wedding, with Forest Whitaker and America Ferrera. She says it looks cute. BBL

  60. Tupper and Gilly
    7:36 pm on March 19th, 2011

    FINALLY! We have been waiting and waiting for a chance to say hi.
    Long day with the Crazy Lady and then lots of errands. whew.
    Now we are settling in to wait for the giant full moon,and Mama is baking cinnamon rolls.
    Later tonight, we are going to start reading “Down the Rabbit Hole” by one of our favorite authors. A friend lent it to us and surprise, surprise, as we flipped through it, a crisp $20 bill fell out….hmmmm….do you suppose it came from the bookstore like that, or do you think we should just borrow lots and lots more books from our friend?

  61. B.Stover
    7:50 pm on March 19th, 2011

    B&M: You’re correct–parsley is an annual. Oregano and thyme are not. I have marjoram and maybe dill, but they aren’t showing yet.

    Hi T&G.

  62. Melanie
    7:55 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Moon just coming up over the hills!

  63. Riö - The Evil Pug
    8:15 pm on March 19th, 2011

    MagPie!… Someone here will probably feel like planting flowers this spring in some pots…sniff!…She will be helping her mother with the vegetables over at the other place. Her mom is having most of the garden area rocked today, with a raised area for tomatoes and peppers. There’s another garden area but I don’t know what they are planning to grow in there….grunt! …I’m hoping it will be beef jerky strips…yum!

  64. Tupper and Gilly
    8:20 pm on March 19th, 2011

    We can’t wait to start our herbs. The green ones we mean…not the four footed furry ones.
    Those Herbs love it when Mama clips fresh parsley or dill for them. This year she may try catnip.
    We gingerly offer our sage advice, but no one has any thyme for us.

  65. B.Stover
    8:33 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Now I’m wondering what the derivation of “sage” is. I’ll look it up tomorrow.

    I went outside and there are stars but the moon is missing.

  66. Riö - The Evil Pug
    8:35 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Tuppence!…heh!snort!heh!… Nice use of punish stuff…snorkel!….Someone is busy making tacos for supper…sniff!sniff!… It smells different than our normal tacos. I do not smell any salt….dammit!

  67. Melanie
    8:43 pm on March 19th, 2011

    T & G, whew! Now take the lunch money out of that and send it up by Gilly Power!

    The full moon is beautiful. Because of the double paned glass and the storm window, at a certain angle I can see four full moons at once!

    My sister is here. We’re talking and talking and talking. I think I’m getting a second wind.

    YSAS went for a walk. Pain easing up some. Sure wish we could figure this out. X-rays, cat scans, blood tests show nothing. He’ll be fine in a few days and this won’t happen again for months. Same with OTAS.

    Yup, bodies are just plain weird.

    Now Riö, I hope you appreciate that I said all of that in one comment. Not that you will read the whole thing! 🙂

    TTFN

  68. Tupper and Gilly
    8:45 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Bee – thank you for researching the derivation of “sage”. Tomorrow we will pepper you with questions and see if you are worth your salt.
    (Sorry – once we start, we just can’t stop. Puns are just so savory)

  69. Riö - The Evil Pug
    8:53 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Melanie!… I do appreciate it and I read every single word….snort!…Especially because I am so worried about Clarkson today. I sure hope he is feeling better. He is far to young to be in so much pain for unexplained reasons….grump!… Does he have floaters in his body like you used to??….sob!… I am praying for both of your sons to be healthy and Zoe too! And Dan, always! ….sniff!

  70. Mollypop
    9:09 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Darn! We still have clouds. Our weatherguesser said they would clear by bedtime, but that might not mean Mom’s bedtime.

  71. B.Stover
    9:17 pm on March 19th, 2011

    The moon is finally up here and it is huge! Good wishes!!

    And good night all.

  72. Riö - The Evil Pug
    9:26 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Howling!….What the hell are you hippy guys doing tonight? …snort!…. Howling at the moon and wishing on your gardens?.,,..sniff!…Sounds like witchcraft to me…sneeze!… Bull-Ony served up on a load of mulch….grunt!… This year is gonna suck and no amount of wishing and howling is going to help the state of global affairs…sniff! …I might be a little pessimistic, but that’s how it is playing out through my bugged out eyes….grump!

  73. Staff
    9:35 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Mr.Staff and I are safe back in Minneapolis and I just went out to see if there was a moon and all we have are clouds. Heck! And while we were gone there was enough melting that I wouldn’t have to stand on one foot to be on ground. I could have done it on both feet.

  74. Barb & Maggie
    9:46 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Rio, You said in your 8:15 post that you are putting rocks in most of the garden. Plants really grow better in good soil. Here we take the rocks OUT of the garden. Just a thought.

    T & G, you are so clever with all those herb thingys.

    We are going out to the garden soon to do our moon dance and howling. PPPPPPFFFFFFFTTTTTT to you Rio – that is Maggie raspberries!

  75. Riö - The Evil Pug
    9:47 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Staff!….Glad you made it safe and sound to the Twin Cities….grunt!… Did you leave the Kats behind in the closet?…heh! ….Here’s to being Optimistic…sniff!

  76. Riö - The Evil Pug
    9:52 pm on March 19th, 2011

    MagPie!…Well, if you had bothered to read every word in my post about our garden you would have seen that there will be a raised area for the tomato and pepper plants….grunt!…You sound like a gardening snob…sniff!…Go howl at the freakin’ moon! Be sure to wear your old hippy clothes or it won’t work..…grump!

  77. Wookie of Chevy Chase
    10:08 pm on March 19th, 2011

    We do a lot of gardening here in Chevy Chase. Mom grows lot of herbs — basil and thyme and lots of rosemary; indeed we have a veritable rosemary bush. We also grow lettuces, Swiss chard and all kinds of tomatoes too. In the past we have done squash, cucumbers and sugar snaps with good success, less so with carrots, radishes and brussel sprouts. Strawberries didn’t work out too well either, something about our soil. And we will overlook the unfortunate incident with the asparagus patch involving me and my friend Casey. Suffice it to say we’ve seen nary an asparagus stalk since then. Wookie

  78. Tupper and Gilly
    10:10 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Well, we aren’t howling, and we don’t have a garden to dance in. As Corgis, we tend to be a little bit on the round side – maybe that’s what you would call “hippy”. But Rio – we love the sight of the moon tonight. The air is clear and it is just cold enough to make our noses tingle. The tree branches are still bare, but they create an intricate lacework pattern against the still lunar glow.
    It may not be a predictor of a wonderful and successful year. It may not be a precursor of world peace and kindness among human hearts.
    But it is soft and beautiful. It is a reminder of the incredible glories that nature displays and will inspire poets and lovers alike to revel in it’s beauty. We can celebrate something that is simple, pure and lovely, just in it’s being; something that asks nothing of us, that is free to all who wish to partake. It is something rare and wonderful in this world of digital, megapixel, high speed, skyping, tweeting impersonal connections. We look at that lovely moon, and think of all the friends we have around the world who can look at that same moon and feel the same sense of awe for the universe around us.
    And we are just two small Corgis under that brilliant, magnificent moon.

  79. AbbietheKitty
    10:22 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Tupper and Gilly, You are so poetic. And you are right. Sometimes when I am home at the farm and staring out at the night I think of all my dog and cat friends on this blog and think we are all looking at the same moon and seeing the same beauty and it brings up together.
    Unless, of course, it is all cloudy like it is here in Minneapolis tonight.

    Staff said when she drove through Fargo on the way to the farm they saw the earthen dikes being pushed into place and today on the way home they heard on the news that the 3 million sandbags were being delivered to the most important places in Fargo. Also the 1.5 million on the Moorhead side were going out too.

    She peeked over the I94 bridge over the Red River and it is a good 50 feet down to the frozen water. But it was raining as we went through. If all the snow melts south of the city before the river thaws north of the city then the water backs up fairly fast. Hopefully they will have freezing nights for a week or so to keep the melt slow.

  80. Riö - The Evil Pug
    10:23 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Tuppence!….Very well said indeed….snort!…. You I can relate to – the howlers and the garden guru’s not so much…sniff! … Wookie and the unfortunate affair in the asparagus patch will be over-looked as that is just too funny to re-plant on….gruff!…The moon unfortunately is a source of sadness to someone here and we hardly ever look at it…huffle!…Maybe this will change one day, but not tonight…sniff!

  81. Barb & Maggie
    10:41 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Wow T & G, that was too beautiful for words to even express.

    You and the Herbs and your Mama add so much to this blog, and we are glad you have joined us.

    And Staff, we are glad you traveled safely.

    Good night all.

  82. Tupper and Gilly
    10:43 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Rio – we are going to say a special prayer for someone there that their heart will heal, and they will be able to be happy in their soul and in all the wonderful glories of nature.
    Your friends – Tupper, Gilly, Basil and Sage, and our Mama too.

  83. Riö - The Evil Pug
    10:45 pm on March 19th, 2011

    See!…This is great. All these meaty posts with real conversations going on in real paragraphs….gruff!…Not one sentence like “Oh, my butt itches” or “I’m testing something” or the classic, “Bootie” and “Thanks!” …gruffle!

    AbbieTheKat!…I take it you and Alice are both in the city and not in the closet where you really belong…heh!… Why do you guys keep moving back and forth all the time?…sniff!… I have one home and that’s where I stay. In my one home. With my one soft bed and one big bed that I have been banned from because of this and that…cough!

  84. Riö - The Evil Pug
    10:49 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Tuppence!…Many thanks to you and your gang of characters. You are a very nice bunch of critters and we here appreciate you all to pieces….sniff!…Please make sure Melanie does not explode trying to do everything that 3 people should really be doing… grunt!…I do worry about that gal…sniff!

  85. Tupper and Gilly
    11:07 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Don’t you worry Rio – we got Melanie’s back – and yours.
    Good night friend.

  86. Riö - The Evil Pug
    11:08 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Oh!….We were watching Baseball Tonight and there was a commercial that cracked us both up!….heh!…A pasty white guy in his pajamas and a big yellow parka walks into a backyard where a bunch of people are barbequing and having a good time… snort!…They see him and say something like “Oh my god, what happened to you?”….grunt!…He sits down by a tree and says, “I was inside, everything was all white.” One guys says, “It was just winter buddy! Someone get this guy a burger!”…heh!snort!heh!….That is a good commercial.

  87. Natasha the Nefarious Borzoi
    11:41 pm on March 19th, 2011

    Rio my little love – can ve not vish you good night in only von line? Ve promise to never talk about our butt itching – ve do not discuss such things vith strangers. Besides, Natasha is very much too vell groomed and beautiful to ever have such a condition. But please explain – vhat is this “snifflenits”? Does this mean some von has the itchy butt?
    Go to sleep vith your baseball toys. And ve hope your friend vill soon be able to see the beauty of moon again.

  88. Wookie of Chevy Chase
    12:13 am on March 20th, 2011

    Rio. Just remember to tell your friend that hope is born again anew every day. I know that the losses and pain of the past year have taken their toll, but your unconditional love, which I know you have for her, can be an integral part of her healing process. All of the members of the nation within a nation (and the kats too) are incredibly blessed to be in their forever homes, with our soft beds and baseball toys and everything else, and we need to let our humans know how much we love them and appreciate all they do for us. All in all, the bargain that humans and their four-legged friends have struck is pretty terrific on both sides. Wookie

  89. Macy the Min-Pin
    12:35 am on March 20th, 2011

    Nite-nite. Yea Snowhook. (My far reaches are not itching, thanks)

    Macy in and out.

  90. dawson
    1:06 am on March 20th, 2011

    Booty!

  91. dawson
    1:07 am on March 20th, 2011

    call

  92. Wolfie
    1:40 am on March 20th, 2011

    Thanks!

  93. Macy the Min-Pin
    12:47 am on March 21st, 2011

    Last!

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