Monday, February 27, 2012

Iditarod

First you have to fill out the forms...

(Well, really first you have to have a team & all the equipment, know how to mush, and have some sort of monetary support but then.... you have to fill out the forms.)



From the website:



2012 Rules & Forms for Mushers
Many of these forms require Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to download it for free.
The Iditarod Trail International Sled Dog Race shall be a race for dog mushers meeting the entry qualifications as set forth by the Board of Directors of the Iditarod Trail Committee, Inc.
Recognizing the aptitude and experience necessary and the varying degrees of monetary support and residence locations of mushers, with due regard to the safety of mushers, the humane care and treatment of dogs and the orderly conduct of the race, the Trail Committee shall encourage and maintain the philosophy that the race be constructed to permit as many qualified mushers as possible who wish to enter and contest the Race to do so.
The object of the race is to determine which musher and dogs can cover the race in the shortest time under their own power and without aid of others. That is determined by the nose of the first dog to cross the finish line. To that end, the Iditarod Trail Committee has established these rules and policies to govern the race.
  
FORMS REQUIRED AT TIME OF ENTRY
Many of the musher forms are dated. Dates are listed with the materials. Be sure to get your paperwork into the office well ahead of deadlines. Be sure to check this page often for new forms and information that you will need to know. The forms on this list are required at the time of payment of entry fee in order to be considered an entrant.
SPONSORS, BANQUET & MEMBERSHIP FORMS (REQUIRED)
  • Sponsor Forms (PDF)
    Print as many as you need and turn in as often as you need to. For inclusion in the Race Guide, we must have your sponsors turned in by December 15, 2011.
  • Membership Form (PDF)
    Should be turned in as soon as possible to be sure your membership is updated.
  • Banquet Ticket Forms (PDF)
    Mushers get the first two tickets for free and priority for reservations until January 1, 2012, but to get your tickets you must submit this form.
     
PAPERWORK REGARDING DOG CARE & DROPPED DOGS (REQUIRED)
  • Dog Care Agreement (PDF)
    Must be turned in prior to food drop.
  • Local Contact (PDF)
    Both must be filled out by two different contacts. Due prior to food drop.
  • Veterinarian Letter (PDF)
    This needs to be signed by the veterinarian that does the pre-race veterinary checkup. Due by date of Official Pre-Race Veterinary Check.
  • Individual Dog Vet Check Form (PDF)
    Due by date of Official Pre-Race Veterinary Check. There are 20 copies needed.
  • Dog Microchip Identification Sheet (PDF)
  • Questionnaire (PDF)
    We frequently get asked if mushers need booties or meat etc. This questionnaire puts you on the lists for your needs. Please return as soon as possible as we are already getting asked about mushers needing booties.
     
REQUIRED PAPERWORK (ESPECIALLY FOR MUSHERS)
  • Musher Assessment Form (PDF)
    Related to the performance of a musher in an approved qualifying race.
  • Rookie Reference Letter (PDF)
    All rookies must provide a reference sheet from an Iditarod musher who is familiar with the rookie.
Can you believe all the writing it will take to fill out every one of these forms?

More to come.

Love,
Buddy


 
 

Craig Royal-Blind Photographer

If you Google Craig Royal Blind Photographer you'll get 54,300,000 results in 0.26 seconds which is an amazing feat, until you check out the sites and find out more about this particular photographer.

He takes some pretty spectacular photographs.  Check this out....

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/blind-photographer-creates-captivating-art-1322614741-slideshow/-reflections-and-abstractions--photo-1322614184.html





http://blog.blindphotographers.org/profiles/craig-royal/







http://www.facebook.com/pages/Craig-Royal-Fine-Art-Photography/102491443088










http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/alleyes/content/craig-royal











http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/alleyes/content/craig-royal








....and prepare to be impressed.

 Love,
Buddy

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Iditarod begins in five days

http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-san-angelo/the-iditarod






Winners from 1973 to 2011.

This year's musher listings.




Stay tuned.

Love,
Buddy

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Cartoons

One of the funnest (I know it should be "most fun", but I like the way "funnest" sounds) things I have always enjoyed is cartoons.  I especially like the printed cartoon like Sunday paper cartoons, Reader's Digest cartoons, and daily calendar cartoons, the kind of cartoon that can be slapped up on the side of the fridge and provide entertainment on a daily basis.

AND NOW....
cartoons are available on the internet.  How cool is that!

and and and
there are lots of DOG cartoons, which of course are the best.

How about this guy....
Not only is he funny, but you can buy your own personal (or business) cartoon from him as well.

Dog Cartoon #5038

Dog Cartoon 5038: What's that boy?! A paradigm shift?!
 I signed up to get his cartoons by e-mail so I can be entertained whenever a new cartoon pops up.

What's that boy?  There's a new cartoon in our e-mail?  Good-boy!

Love,
Buddy
 












Friday, February 24, 2012

Junk is in the eye of the Beholder

It takes a real imagination to take a pile of junk odds and ends and make a true piece of junk art.
All kidding aside, this site has some examples of art made from other than traditional materials and some of it is awesome.






 I love Albert.





 






 Awesome sculpture.



Which came first, the chicken or the egg?










Love,
Buddy

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

What to do with the wedding dress.....and other post divorce ideas

Well.....
I can't say I truly understand all of this, because dogs do not get married (unless of course humans get involved) therefore, dogs do not get divorced.

 However,
this looks like so much fun and I thought maybe I should do something interesting like............. dogs in wedding dresses.



However,


it has already been done.









(What did I tell you about humans?)





However,





the divorce fun can continue in other ways.






It is suppose to be healthy for you.


and for something really bizarre...




how about this?



So now I know what to do if ever I get a divorce, but then I'd have to get married first, and dogs do not get married, unless of course humans get involved.

Love,
Buddy






Monday, February 20, 2012

On US Presidents...their pets and foibles....

This starts out being about "Presidential Pet Stories", which we can assume involves mostly dogs and maybe an occasional cat and perhaps a bird or two. But it gets better with Lions and Tigers and Bears (oh my!).


Two of my favorite stories...

Andrew Jackson taught his pet parrot, Pol, to swear. Pol outlived Jackson, and in fact had to be removed from Jackson's funeral service because it wouldn't stop cursing.

 Calvin Coolidge is known for not talking much, but maybe, like Dr. Doolittle, he talked to the animals – he certainly had enough of them in the White House with him. White Collies named Rob Roy and Prudence Prim; Chows, Shelties, and Terriers; raccoons, canaries, and a bobcat; a pygmy hippo; a wallaby; a black bear; and lion cubs named Tax Reduction and Budget Bureau. Coolidge started acquiring kooky pets while he was Vice President – was he our first presidential animal hoarder? – and is said to have walked his raccoon, Rebecca, around the White House on a leash or draped around his neck.

I would have like to have seen that!

Love,
Buddy



Friday, February 17, 2012

Its a Dog's Life!

Wow!  Did you see all the dogs in the news this week?

First, there was the Westminster Dog Show,

the top dog of all dog shows where they introduced six new breeds...


the Entlebucher (ent-lee-BOO'-kehr) mountain dog,










the Norwegian Lundehund (LUHN'-dee-hund),










the American English coonhound,


 (this guy has got to be my cousin, just look at that face!)







the Finnish Lapphund (LAP'-hundh),










the Cesky (CHESS'-key) terrier






 



and the Xoloitzcuintli (show-low-itz-QUINT'-lee), previously known as the Mexican Hairless.









These photographs were stolen copied taken borrowed from this website.


Then,

Malachy the Pekingese won the top dog prize at the Westminster Dog show (you know top dog of all dog shows).

A twelve pound hairball? Really?

Oh well, I suppose he deserved it.



AND

Uggie won the first Golden Collar Award,











beating out

Blackie

despite Martin Scorsese's best efforts to the contrary.









And my favorite...
Rin Tin Tin has a book written about him.

One of these days, that will be me.

Love,
Buddy

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Finally V-Day is over...

It isn't that I hate Valentine's Day, it is that I don't like the hype and what could be considered unreasonable expectations of the day.  I am really sick of the shades of pink and red that have decorated all the stores since January 2nd and I hate having sentiment shoved down my throat.

I am a classy dog.  I show affection every day.   Some days I show it better than others.  I'd rather give one rose for no other reason than a passing thought than to be required to give a dozen because a specific date has arrived on the calendar.  Ugh!.

Now I can start looking forward to the next holiday.
Actually I was thinking that it would be Saint Patrick's Day - one of my favorite holidays,

but a quick look at the calendar shows that first we have to survive ;

President's Day (a Monday holiday)

Mardi Gras (aka Shrove Tuesday)

Ash Wednesday (the beginning of the Lenten season)

Leap Day

and the bane of my existence the beginning of Daylight Saving (I know, I know...certainly not a holiday but a day that I have to contend with non-the-less)

All the more reason to look forward to Saint Patrick's Day.

In the meantime I'll just have to survive by thinking happy thoughts. 

Like...
Doggie treats







Chasing squirrels







Gnawing a big ol' juicy bone







Playing with Spencer











Getting petted
and laughing a lot.











Yep, I think I'll survive.

Love,
Buddy









Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Ok, Ok, It is Valentine's Day



 Some love it, some hate it, some just ignore it.





I think I shall remark on it and let it go....


 If you have to be told to show your love and it has to happen on a specific day, then maybe there is something wrong with your relationship.  If you love someone, tell them every day and don't worry about the date.

Google 2012
Pre-2012
Possible Origins

 Love,
Buddy