Feline Friday - While the people are away . . . . . .

the cats peed everywhere.

 Ok that is an exaggeration but they did pee on the floor a lot according to the person who checked on them and they used one of the dog beds as a litter box. They were mad.

It was a tough decision what to do with them during our trip. The cats are old. Since I won't vaccinate them, I couldn't board them. I also thought that boarding 18 + year old cats who have never been boarded would be very stressful. I looked at hiring a cat sitter but because we live way, way in the country, no one would come. Aunt C offered to take them, but I thought that them living with 2 other younger cats may be too stressful. In the end, we asked the neighbour to check on them. She was happy to do this, even if they peed everywhere!

While I know they missed us, I do believe it was the least stressful of all our options. They had plenty to eat and lots of water and clean litter and their house.

Everyone is just glad they both lived while we were away!

Baggy eating soft food, the one part of his routine he didn't get while we were away!

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A special thanks to Alasandra from http://atcad.blogspot.ca for donating her time through the auction for pets auction for Tweedles and making us our cool new header!

A little bit more about Grand Cayman

I didn't mean to rub in going somewhere warm:) The Man and I hadn't been on a trip together for nearly 3 years. We had booked this trip to see friends who live on the island, and then the friends picked the weekend we were there to get married. What fun!

Cayman is a very small island (22 miles across). While the weather feels Caribbean (we were blessed with what we thought was warm but the locals thought was cold - it was in the 20s C [80 F] but it was a bit windy), the island itself  feels like a North American city then other warm places we have visited.

Most of the time we spent visiting or sitting on the beach. I have taken up snorkelling. Saw some cool fish. That being said, we did do some traveling around the island in our rental car. The Man did an awesome job driving on the left side! 

The starfish from yesterday was at Starfish point and we believe it was alive (although I wouldn't know how to tell!)

Here are some pictures from our travels! 

The Facebook flip flop tree - for some reason tourists have made this a thing!

A rare blue iguana. They only live on Grand Cayman. This was at the botanical gardens where they have a breed and release program.
20 some years ago there were only like 30 left and now there are about 800. 

The blow holes

At the turtle farm where they are breeding turtles to replace the population.

7 mile beach

Now it is back to the bitter cold and work!

Hope everyone is surviving the cold.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

We were visiting friends in Grand Cayman!

WE ARE BACK!

After what feels like forever - we are back. Today is the transition day from vacation to the real world. The spot where you are happy to be home, but realize how much you have to do to be ready for work tomorrow.

Man and I had a fantastic time away. The cats stayed in the house with a cat sitter (although this didn't stop them from using a dog bed as a litter box) and the dogs went to camp. Now, I am not sure they loved their 9 nights at camp (or jail as they called it), but the staff said they were wonderful and they seem no worse for wear. Hailey showed us how mad she is by running into the house and peeing on her dog bed (not the one the cats had used). However, since that, they have settled in well. I am sure in a day or two they will be past it!

I did pop by many of your blogs while I was away, I just didn't comment, so I don't feel as behind as I might have been.

The next few days will be bumpy as we adjust back to the cold and the real world!

Here is a taste of our adventure - Can anyone guess where it is? (a little teaser for a Tuesday)

Mischief Monday - Away

Hi everyone,

We will be away until about the 28th. Lady is away on business. (This is the mischief, she is abandoning us!) She says she may have time to visit you while she is away, but makes no promises. [Also mischief].

We will be back with our adventures then.

We will miss you all!

Black and White Sunday - Waiting to throw

Chuck

Way back in November we hinted that Phod was getting a ball replacement for the winter because we just got too much snow to easily find a ball. [So far we have had about 130 cm/51 inches this winter]. Last winter we just stopped playing fetch, but our boy was so sad I couldn't do that again, so we welcomed chuck into our lives.

The first time we took chuck out, Phod would have nothing to do with him. On the other hand, Hailey loved it and for a bit I thought maybe we had something Hailey would fetch consistently. This only happened the first time and now Phod loves his chuck as much as he loves his ball.

Here he is enjoy it!

In this picture you can see that we have broken chuck a little. Don't worry, we have a back up chuck on standby just in case! 

Snow swimming through the deep snow with chuck

Going after it!

Catching chuck

I love his running ears! 

About My Birthday - by Hailey

Thank you all for your birthday wishes. It made me feel extra special (I always feel a little special, cause that is how I roll!)

I actually got my birthday gift a few days before my birthday. I got the Slo-Bowl flower because I tend to eat too fast. Lady was gonna make me wait til my birthday but one night I ate so fast I vomited and then ate my vomit, which grossed my Lady out and she gave me it early. I have been testing it out, and it does make me eat slower. I find it slightly annoying, but am adjusting to the change.

The new bowl

My Aunt C, Uncle D and cousin cats Panda and Lupul sent me this in an email:
"For your birthday a Thundershirt has been donated to one of the dogs at the Catahoula rescue so that a dog like you can get a hug when it needs it while it waits for it's forever home!!!"

Catahoula is the rescue that saved me (and Phod too), so I am happy to be helping other dogs who don't have forever homes.

On my birthday my Lady took me for a special walk through the woods behind our house. We didn't go very far because even though we are having a January thaw, Lady still sinks up to above her knees when she was walking . . . which made it hard for her. I was light enough to not to sink as much as Lady and Phod. I managed to pull Lady over 4 times in the snow. Fortunately when the snow was up past her knees she didn't have far to fall so she didn't get hurt and she laughed a lot. What was neat about our walk is that in our side yard we can see where the deer have been sleeping. We got to have a really good sniff of the deer dents in the snow. It was fun. Phody and I both enjoyed the deer poop as a treat. [Note from Lady - Phod never eats poop etc, so it was shocking that he wanted deer poop!]

Even though we didn't go far, having to pull Lady through the snow was hard work and I had a great nap after. I also got lots of extra treats. Overall, turning 4 was great. The only downfall to it, is Lady keeps saying I am all grown up now and I need to be good . . . . I just give her a look! I am gonna be who I am gonna be!

Thanks again for all your birthday wishes!

Hailey

Wordless Wednesday - I am going to catch you!

Time Warp Tuesday

First, thanks for all the birthday wishes. Lee will talk about her birthday more on Thursday.

Today, we are participating in Time Warp Tuesday.

This first picture was taken by the people who rescued Hailey and her siblings from a kill shelter in Ohio. It is one of the few baby pictures we have of her and is very special. We never knew this baby as she was about 9 months old when she came to our house. When I look at that cute little face I wonder why it took her so long to find a forever home. [I don't think about the fact that her foster mom in the Ottawa area said she was one of the most difficult dogs she ever met!]

Look at my chubby little girl with floppy ears. 

 Here she is today.  My sleek beauty with very alert ears.

This picture was taken a few weeks ago

For this of you who had trouble finding her in Sunday's post, here she is -

Happy 4th Birthday Hailey!

Today is the day we celebrate our girl's birthday. Her documents have several different birthdays around this time and we picked today as the day we celebrate because it is our good friend Missy G's birthday.

High Energy

Alert

Intelligent

Lovable

Exuberant

Yearning to be Free

Happy Birthday Hailey!

And the Winner is . . . . . .

First let us thank Molly, Sarge, Daisy, Bella and Roxy for participating in the joke off. It was a lot of fun to host. You all made the old cats, the dogs and the people laugh! [We are really glad we didn't have to vote, it was too hard, we loved them all!] Thank you for everyone who voted.

Now, the moment you have all been waiting for, the winner and funniest dog in Blogville is . . . . .

Sarge

Apparently people like to be grossed out with their jokes! Thanks Sarge, Lady will be in touch with your people about your prized.

Because we want to recognize all our competition, a special badge for Molly, Daisy, Bella and Roxy.

Thanks again everyone!

Black and White Sunday - Where's Hailey?

The snow is so deep in places of the yard, it can be easy to lose Hailey. Can you find her?

Tomorrow is a very special day, so please drop by!

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PS
The winner of the joke off will be announced around 9 pm EST! 

Zaphod finds his voice

Zaphod has lived with us for almost 1.5 years now. When he came the clearly horrible life he had led, made him a shy and reserved guy. He would bark when Hailey barked, but he didn't "talk" much.

Recently things have begun to change and Phod is finding his voice.

He will sit and whine holding a toy on his bed waiting for you to call him over to play fetch. Sometimes if he is feeling really feisty he will put the toy beside you and if you don't throw it right away, will whine or give a short bark. A few times when he has wanted attention he will "talk" to let you know.

I am enjoying Phod's voice because with it is coming a confidence and comfort he didn't have when he first came. For example, we allow the dogs on the furniture. Before he wouldn't come up on it. If you called him up, he would tentatively get up. He always looked nervous and scared when this happened and had trouble relaxing. Now he just hops up if he wants, curl up and have a good sleep.

It is great to see that the neglect and abuse he faced the first year and a half or so of his life is fading away, leaving us with a Phody who talks!

My happy "mouthy" boy!

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Please visit yesterday's post to vote for the funniest joke.
Also, Monday is a very special day, please stop by!

Feline Friday Presents The Joke Off

Ladies and Gentleman, Dogs and Cats, from all around the globe, it is time for the big event - the Joke Off!

The three top contenders from the Blogville New Year's Eve Comedy Night have submitted their best jokes to make you laugh.

Please vote for your favourite joke in the comments below. Votes will be accepted until 6 pm EST on on Sunday January 12. The winner will be announced by 9 pm EST that evening. 

Put on your depends and get ready to laugh your pants off!

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Molly the Wally from http://mollythewally.blogspot.co.uk

An avid duck hunter was in the market for a new bird dog. His search ended when he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve a duck. Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him. He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, the eternal pessimist who refused to be impressed with anything. This, surely, would impress him. He invited him to hunt with him and his new dog. As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. they fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet. This continued all day long; each time a duck fell, the dog walked across the surface of the water to retrieve it. The pessimist watched carefully, saw everything, but did not say a single word. On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, “Did you notice anything unusual about my new dog?” “I sure did,” responded the pessimist. “He can’t swim.”

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Sarge from http://sargespeaksout.blogspot.ca

One day, a farmer was tending to his livestock when he noticed that one of his cows was completely cross-eyed. He called up a veterinarian who told him to bring in his cow. The vet took one look at the cow, stuck a tube up the cow's butt, and blew into the tube until the cow's eyes straightened out. The vet charged the farmer a hundred bucks, and the farmer went home happy. About a week later, the cow's eyes were cross-eyed again, but this time the farmer figured he could probably take care of it himself. So he called his hired hand over, and together they put a tube up the cow's butt. The farmer put his lips to the tube and started to blow. Strangely, nothing happened, so he asked his hired hand to give it a try. The hired hand removed the tube, turned it around, put it in the cow's butt and started to blow.

"What are you doing?" asked the farmer, horrified.

"Well, I wasn't gonna use the side that YOU put your lips on."

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Daisy, Bella and Roxy from http://scotsmad.blogspot.ca

A woman took her old, very sick dog to the Vets and was told that there was nothing that could be done for the dog.....$25, please.

 

She said to the Vet...$25?  You haven't done anything or checked him.

 

The doctor disappeared for a few minutes and returned with a Labrador who sniffed the lady's dog.  The doctor returned with a cat, who stared at the dog.

 

Then the doctor said, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do for your dog....that'll be $150."

 

The woman was incensed "You just told me that and said it would be only $25!  Now you say $150!

"Yes", said the doctor, "but that was before we did the Lab Report and Cat Scan!" 

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Who do you think should be named funniest dog in Blogville? VOTE NOW!

Play Time!

After a week of hardly being outside, Sunday was time to celebrate.
It makes me so happy that they love to play together so much!

Wordless Wednesday - Best Seat in the House

Thank you Aunt C and Uncle D

We are behind and haven't thanked Aunt C and Uncle D for the wonderful Christmas gift they sent for the pups. Lady and Man let them open them ourselves. Phody thought it was bad to open it and wouldn't so he needed some help. Hailey opened it hers no problem.

"Can I really have this?"

"An antler, my favourite!"

"Gotta open this."

"Ooooooo, it is my favourite!"

"Thanks for the antler!" 

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Remember the joke off is on Friday. Be sure to come and vote.

People asked how we made out on Sunday/Monday with the storm. We got lucky and didn't get too much snow. The freezing rain did make the roads horrible and the Man turned around on his way to work and was able to work from home. [He is not a winter wimp like the Lady so it must have been really bad]. Lady had scheduled a work from home day. It was windy and cold Monday afternoon, but our power stayed on and we were safe and warm by the fire (after a crazy walk . . . .Lady is so glad she has Lee Valley icers for her boots!.

Hope everyone is safe!

Mischief Monday - Let's get on with it!

After a week of very, very cold weather, Sunday was finally the perfect day (-9C or so) to go for a long walk and play in the snow. Of course, I had to tease Hailey about it first.

We had a great walk and Hailey eventually settled down on it!

To make up for this tease, later while playing outside after our walk, Lee tried to knock man over!

Black and White Sunday - We are not here for your amusement!

Put the flashy thing away and stop making us do your stupid tricks. We are not here for your amusement!


Good news: It is warm enough to spend actually time outside now. Bad news, we are getting a snow storm and getting 20 cm (8 inches) of snow to go with the about 45 cm (18 inches) we have already.

Feline Friday: And the Winner is . . .

The truth is that there isn't a winner. The show was very well received and the competition was fierce and we have ended up with a 3 way tie.

After considering our options, we have decided the most fun way to resolve this problem is to have a joke off.

Daisy, Bella and Roxy, Molly the Wally and Sarge, you have until next Thursday, January 9th to send us your best joke.  On Friday the 10th, we will have the joke off.  Voting will be open until 6 pm on the 12th. The joke with the most votes will win the prize. Ties will be decided by the Man.

Let's see if you can make the old cats laugh again!

Cabin Fever

"I'm so bored."

It has been unusually cold here through December and into the start of the New Year . Don't get me wrong, the area surrounding Canada's capital gets very cold in the winter (-20 to - 40 C with the windchill or -4 to -40 F), it is just that is January weather not December weather, and in December we must have had at least 10 days that were this cold.

For those of you who don't know this type of cold, let me try and explain it. It is so cold that by the time I walk the 20 steps from the front door to the side of the house, the hairs in my nose are frozen. Within a minute or so, the dogs are playing the 3 legged dog game. Hailey can actually poop standing on her two left paws. It is a sight to see and if it wasn't so cold I would try and take a picture of it. Zaphod at best will play chuck it 3 times before going to the door, limping and crying because his feet hurt so much. It takes me longer to get ready to take them out, then they are actually outside. Our average time out is only 2-3 minutes. The dogs will poop fast in this weather.

"Make it warmer out."

I believe in giving my dogs daily walks. Generally we walk about 3 km in the morning. However on these bitterly cold  days, it is impossible. On the days it was a little warmer (like -18 C) we were able to make it to the end of the road before having to turn around, but some days, we barely make it to the end of the driveway. Frostbite and hypothermia are not something I want to give to my dogs or myself.

We are entering day 4 of at least a 5 day stretch of ridiculously cold weather and I can feel the cabin fever setting in. We have been doing more puzzles, more tricks, more playing, we even let Phod have a ball in the house. In spite of this we are all getting a little squirrel-y and I hope this weather passes soon so we can have some quality outdoor time.

Are any of you having similar issues with the weather?



Reminder: Today is your last day to vote for best comedian, click HERE for the details .

House balls need to be eaten

If we are stuck inside, might as well snuggle