Scenic Sunday

Today seems like a good day to r-e-l-a-x. Lets take a photo tour with mom (since canines are not allowed at the museum) and see a few things from the Gilbert Stuart Museum. Did woo know woo have a Gilbert Stuart original in your wallet? Yup, his famous "unfinished" portrait of George Washington is the one used for the engraving of Washington on every dollar bill for the past century. Pretty cool, huh? Maybe woo recognize the painting:

Lets start at the beginning.
GS was born here, in that big red house.

It also housed his father's snuff mill.

He lived here till he was 6.

On the right is the grain mill.

It's lovely, in spite of the overcast skies and drizzle.

This is the spring-fed pond that powers the waterwheels:

There's even a "fish ladder" in the pond! Can woo imagine, a ladder for fish? What's next, a frog elevator? Ha-roo roo roo!

This lovely view is from the "front yard", looking over the herb

gardens across to the mill.

This bridge takes woo back to the visitor center & gift shop. Every year artists come and do paintings of the grounds, which are then sold in the gift shop. There's also a little movie about GS, just to put Gilbert's life into context.

Isn't this a cute place? The caretaker lives here.

Whew, that's a lot to take in!

Tomorrow, Moo's going to take woo inside the house & show woo around. Till then, have a restful Sunday.

A-roos & toodle-woo,

jack a-roo & miss moo

LiveStrong Day

LIVESTRONG DAY

We've got our paws crossed fur a speedy cure!

Cancer is a killer, taking far too many of our loved ones from us in the prime of their lives. Our lives have also been touched by cancer:

In looking for a silver lining in the dark cloud of cancer that had descended for a second time on my mother, I realized that knowing my mother's days were numbered, I needed to say a few things to her NOW. Like how much I admired her, and what a good mother she had been. I told her some of my fondest childhood memories, talked about memories of she & my dad, and wanted her to know that she had filled our home with love and happiness, (in spite of what my surly disposition as a teen might have led her to believe.) I wanted her to know that she was still an example to me - of bravery, of perseverence, of sacrafice, and of prayer. Cancer had robbed her of her ability to walk around and be active, as she had always been. Not long before the end, she told me "I may not be able to do much, but I spend my days sitting in this chair praying for people. I call my friends, I talk to them, I pray for them." Next to the chair was a stack of Holy Cards. I took several with me, which I treasure to this day. Her favorite saint was St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. Her entire life, she always told me I must never give up, no matter what. She lived those words, and I am so grateful for her example. I can't wait to see her again someday.

Our handsome, gentle, Sherman, an angel of a dog, died of lung cancer at the age of 4 1/2. From the time I first took him in for what I believed to be kennel cough, it was only 6 weeks till the day we helped him cross the bridge. We had received the diagnosis of cancer that afternoon, and we could not let him suffer a moment longer. He was barely able to breathe, fading before our eyes. That day was hushed, shrouded in a heavy mist carrying the low moan of a foghorn in the distance as seagulls cried mournfully, and it seemed that our whole world was grieving with us.
One year ago, our beautiful Blue Moon Star joined her beloved Sherman across the Rainbow Bridge, her vet strongly suspecting that cancer was at work behind her rapid decline. We miss her dearly, having raised her from a 5-week old pup, and were blessed to spend nearly 11 years with this wonderful, wise soul.

My husband also lost a a brother to pancreatic cancer, at 59 years young. Rest in peace, dearest Ray.

I want to honer two others in our family whose work in the medical field from the genetic level on up.

My BIL, Dr. Tom Kunicki, a researcher for Scripps Research Institute, and his wife, Dr. Diane Nugent, a pediatric oncologist. She was voted best physician in the state of California, and, (imo), her knowledge and skill as a healer are only exceeded by her kindness and compassion. Diane is also a cancer survivor herself. God Bless them and their colleges for their relentless efforts to find answers that will improve the lives of those afflicted with horrible diseases such as cancer.

And to all who are touched by cancer, God Bless you, may every day be filled with hope, love, gratitude, and miracles for you and your loved ones.

Pat, Joseph, Jack & Moo

Blah Friday

Nothin' much going on here except its pouring buckets of rain. So we aren't up to much. See:

But an interesting thing happened this week. Mr. A.Saw's cousin Buzz was a furry busy boy!

Now woo see it...



Now woo don't!


a-roos to yous & toodle-woo,
jack a-roo & miss moo

Tuesday Tales

Ha-woo! Things are getting back to normal, SIL is gone and we have mom all to ourselves again! We got to ride to the airport & back with her this morning! SIL is furry nice, she has 2 boxers & 2 kittles back at home -- I bet they will be furry happy to see her in a few hours! But the bipeds were gone a lot to places quadrapeds aren't allowed, so we've actually had a pretty quiet weekend. Mom is gonna make a photo collage of some of the things they did & post it later.

We've been outdoors a LOT, and mom's even let us sleep out on the deck till we decide to come in in the middle of the night.

Us - dark deck dogs, or is that deck dogs in the dark? Maybe its dark dogs on deck. Ha-roo roo, woo decide fur yourself!

woos & a-roos to yous and toodle-woo!

jack a-roo & miss moo

Zoom' Saturday

In honor of efurryone at the TOTTSHR Hike today..... we're thinkin 'bout ya & doin' zoomies!

Honoring Her Memory: Sept. 24th, 2009

Four seasons have passed,

I mourn I could not follow

and you could not stay.

In the full moon's light,

my tears sparkle like the stars

for my Blue Moon Star

We miss you sweet girl,

Love, Mom, Dad, & Jack

Winging it on Wednesday

Moo: still fresh...I can smell it... I know its near here....

Wooooooooooooo-ooooooooooo-oooooo!!!!!!

Jack! I almost caught that bird--

did woo see me??!!

I was this close!

I could taste those tail feathers!

One less wing flap and that bird woulda been mine!

I think I just needed a little more cover,

I was too out in the open.

Don't woo think a little more cover would

have done it, Jack?

...Jack?

JACK!!!

Jack: I saw! I saw!

She's going to be impossible to live with

the rest of the day, woo know.

A-roos to yous, and Toodle-woo ,

Jack a-roo & Miss Moo

Monday's View from the Moo

Well its Monday again, time for my view on things. Todays topic: nicknames.

Either the bipeds can't remember what they named us, or they just can't help but to keep giving us more & more names... I can't decide which. Most are just non-sense, but once in a while, there's a story behind it....

Jack got a new nickname this weekend. Mom was telling dad about cleaning up the yard and finding Jack's latest mole conquest ....specifically, she found part 1 and then found part 2. This goes nicely with last spring's rabbit, also dispatched in 2 parts. And then dad gave him his new nickname: Jack the Ripper.

Jack says he like it, and thinks it will enhance his reputation among the local woodland critters, thus giving him more power over them.

So, ye moles, voles, mice, birds, and bunnies....

this is Jack the Ripper's backyard....

be afraid....

be furry, furry afraid.

Me, lounging with Jack the Ripper

on this beautiful Monday morning.

And that's this week's view from the Moo

toodle-woo!

Miss Moo

A message for woo from Moo

We're posting an important message today, so pay attention!

Did woo get the message? Good!

Now go to www.facebook/Pedigree and join over a million others who have helped feed a hungry dog.

~AND~

Today's blog is part of the blog-hop sponsored by Pedigree:

How often have you had a chance to have a 20 pound bag of dog food donated to a shelter simply for writing a blog post? It’s really that easy. Pedigree has upped the ante big time. And please spread this message: The food drive is not limited to pet blogs. Imagine if we could spread this message beyond our circles and see how far it goes? The numbers could be substantial. Here is the full scoop:
Each year,more than 4 million dogs end up in shelters and breed rescue organizations. Pedigree created the Pedigree Adoption Drive to help shine a spotlight on the plight of these homeless dogs. This year the drive is raising awareness for homeless dogs by donating a bowl of food to shelter dogs for everyone who becomes a fan, or "likes" the PAD on facebook. so far, over a million bowls of food have been donated.

Special for BlogPaws West: For each blog that posts about the PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive through September 19, PEDIGREE® will donate a bag of their new Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to shelters nationwide. It’s simple: Write a post, help a dog.

Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, September 19, the Pedigree BlogPaws bloggers will host a Blog Hop, to help raise awareness for the “Write a post, help a dog” effort.
It is so easy to make a big difference.
Please set aside a few moments to write a post. Include the bullet points above. Copy the pics if you’d like. Add whatever you’d like in addition to help get the message out. Because this is not limited to pet bloggers, there is tremendous potential. Know bloggers in other categories that might be interested? Please share this post with them, write one of your own, and be here Thursday to leave a link to your post. Let’s make this huge. It would just feel great."

Thank woo fur your pawticipation,

Miss Moo & Jack a-roo

Friday Fotos

The biped assistant (dad) over at The Thundering Herd mentioned that he was being stared at by a praying mantis at work the other day. Mom got all excited, she says loves praying mantises.

No kidding! She's weird like that.

And here I thought she liked her critters

cute & fluffy...

Can woo tell I'm wooless?

Me, Jack, wooless

Here's a few "praying mantis portraits" she took a few years ago when they discovered that there were hundreds of the critters in the long line of trees that bordered their home in OH. She said the little baby ones are more orangish and were pretty tough to photograph, but several adults were happy to have their pictures taken. If woo look close, some of the darn things are smiling. (Maybe they're as weird as our mom?)

Seen enough yet?

No???????

OK:

Bye bye, bugs!

A-roos to yous, & toodle-woo,
jack a-roo & miss moo, who are fuzzier & much cuter than praying mantises.

Wooless Wednesday

(this one's fur woo, MFT!)

Miss Moo

Monday's View from the Moo: Zigged

Whoa!
What?
Uh, remember when we were playing earlier?
Yeah, and....
I think maybe woo zigged when woo shoulda zagged...

Mom, what's he talking about?

...Oh boy, I hope she doesn't go look in a mirror...

she may wanna zag me in the head!

It's not my fault... nope, I didn't do anything...not me....

Apparently today's view from the Moo is slightly off-track...

I zigged when I should have zagged....

Toodle-woo!

Miss Moo

Note from Nurse Mom: Moo is fine, not sure if she took a claw, fang, or sharp pointy object to the eye, but its healing up nicely. After watching them, its a wonder this doesn't happen every time they play!

Sunday - Service announcement

Woos & a-roos,
Today I'd like to remind everyone about the upcoming Tails of the Trails Siberian Husky Rescue's annual hike to raise money for huskies in need. (It's on Sept 25th in PA.) We won't be able to attend this year, but our good furiends Khyra and Biloxi will be there, along with my best friend, Moon and Neve, his sisfur. Here's a few pics from last year's event...

These first 2 are on the TOTT webite from last year's hike:

Here I am, taking second place in the de-fluffing contest.

(and wondering what on earth is wrong with these bipeds,

giving prizes for having our fluff stolen?)

And mom spotted this pic of me getting a nice cold drink:

___________

Here I am with Khyra, she & her mom are soooo khool!

And here I am with Moon, trying our paws at being real sled-dogs while his mini-biped Mike watches.

We met a sweet sibette named Geneva while we were hiking, and it was obvious Neve was a great match for Moon's family. See how nicely she walked with the boys? After all the paperwork & interviews, the nice people at TOTT came to the same conclusion - and Neve has been with her furever family (and my best buddy Moon) ever since!
I sure wish I could go this year and introduce them to my fursis Moo, but our bipeds have family coming to visit that same weekend. Maybe next year....

This year's hike will be extra-special because its in memory of Bear-Bear, and his people might even put in an appearance! He, like Neve, was a TOTT rescue. I hope lots of woo can make a donation thru Khyra or Biloxi, they're both registered to accept on-line donations. There are still so many huskies that need our help!

Have a funderful Sunday!

jack a-roo & miss moo

A Moment of Silence

Our flag flies today in memory of 9/11

Our hearts go out to everyone affected that day,

especially to the families of those souls lost in the attacks,

and to all the men, women, and canines who serve this

great nation in our Armed Forces,

rescue units, firemen, police, and to all

who offered helping hands in the midst of the chaos.

~~~~~~~~~~

the cybersibes pack

Fluffy Fun Friday

We were forcibly soaped & watered.....

Now we're fluff-drying

'Nuff said.

Talk to the paw, maw.

...that was the "fluffy" part,

here's the "fun" part:

We've been immortalized

by Meeshka's Human Woman.......

Ha-roo-roo-roo! Holey Moley Mama!

Whatever it is woo get to do, have a fluffy fun Friday!

jack a-roo & miss moo

Wednesday Woos

Woo! Things are finally getting back to normal around here. Mom and Dad were gone for a funeral and we went back to the Spa again! It was only fur a couple days this time, but we were wildly happy when mom & dad showed up to take us HOME!

Hi Mom, where ya been????

C'mon Dad, lets get out of here!!!!

Ahhhhh, this is more like it!

Jack does want me to mention that he's caught 3 moles since we've come back. Gotta admit it, he's the Holey Moley King!

and that's all the woos for Wednesday!

a-roos to yous, and toodle-woo,

King Jack a-roo and Miss Moo

Monday's View from the Moo: Cute Me

Mom loves to tell me "what a cute little Moo" I am. I'm not denying it, cuteness is one of my natural talents.

Mom: "Awwww, what a cute little Moo you are!"

Me: "Whatever."

Now that's cute!

Ha-roo roo roo!

...And that's today's View from the Moo

Toddle-woo,

Miss Moo

Which way now?

Sometimes when we're out fur a walk, we want to go in opposite directions.

Which way now?

Jack wants to go towards the bay...

I want to go see the pretty flowers....

So you know what we did?
Mom walked us both ways & we saw it all!

Have a happy walk!
jack a-roo & miss moo

Storm Warning

Hurricane Earl is due to blow by us sometime Friday or Saturday. Mom brought all the potted plants inside and moved the garden boxes off the rails and down onto the deck next to the walls. She brought the lawn chairs inside, and even brought in the wind-chimes! She & dad stocked up on big bottles of water and no-cook edibles. She said if the storm hits, we'll have to stay indoors.

I've got my spot all picked out -

right here under the table!

Let me know when its over!

Batten down the hatches!

~Jack a-roo