How Novel!

Are you just hanging out this summer with nothing to do?

Then may I suggest you hie yourself to the nearest library and sign up for the summer reading program.

For one thing it is cool. I mean they probably have air conditioning and there is nothing like sucking up someone else's cool air in summer.

For another thing it is cool. I mean there is nothing cooler in attitude than getting educated. Don't you like being smarter? There is no place like the library to get smarter in the summer.

And another thing is that it is cool. I mean the library has all kinds of cool things to do; computers, movies, books on tape, and books, loads and loads of all kinds of cool books. There is no place to do cool things in the summer like the library. PLUS during the summer reading program there are usually some pretty cool prizes. How cool is that?!

So, tell me, what is your favorite book? I have several favorites but one I really, really love is titled "My Life in Dog Years", by Gary Paulsen. You just gotta get it and spend some quality time reading. You will laugh, you will cry, you will want to run out and get a dog just like me.

Here are some URL's for several area libraries where you can get information on their summer reading programs. Now you have no excuse.

http://www.daytonmetrolibrary.org/
http://www.wclibrary.info/
http://www.middletownlibrary.org/summer-reading-program-2011-0
http://www.gcpl.lib.oh.us/

Stay Cool!
Love,
Buddy

The Garmin gods must be laughing

So these days almost everybody has given up paper maps and have some sort of electronic device that tells them where to go and how to get there. I suppose the transition is much like the giving up the sextant.

Of course we have to have the latest and greatest in technology so most trips we take, long and short, are directed by a Garmin Nuvi. And what could be simpler? You type in the address and the nice lady,an all knowing; all seeing; navigational guru gives step by step directions on how to get from point A to point B. She also nicely points out at every single exit off the highway that we should "stay left".

AND if we should by chance need to take a break of some sort (you know eating, peeing, or eating) the *nice* lady patiently says she is "recalculating" as if we were some sort of recalcitrant teenager. All of which is fine because eventually (after eating, peeing, or eating) we get right back on track and happily following her directions to our destination.

However, lately our really nice Garmin Guru has been leading us in circles, literally giving directions that caused us to drive in a big circle. Seriously, the instructions were: Turn left, continue two blocks, turn left, continue two blocks, turn left, continue two blocks, arriving at destination. (Oh, and the voice of the guru sounds so very proud of us when we manage to follow her instructions and actually make it to where we wanted to go.)

So I figure there must be a group of Garmin gods sitting around someplace just thinking up ways they can mis-direct us just to see if we'll follow and then rolling with laughter at our confusion. The kicker is we keep right on following the navigational guru's directions.

I am all for keeping up with the latest technology, and will continue to use the Garmin for directions. But I think from now on there will be a paper map in the vehicle too just in case the Garmin gods continue to use us for their own entertainment. Besides paper can always be put to good use in other ways especially if a detour is needed to eat, pee, or eat. At least a paper map doesn't have to recalculate.

The Nose knows

I can't help it...I have to follow my nose, it isn't my fault...really. I was born with a superior sniffer.

Every day I walk my humans. Spencer takes the photographer and I take the artist. I have to keep them on a tether so they don't get distracted and run off. We walk, we talk. I, being so much closer to the ground, spend a lot of my time smelling. Oh wonderful smells, delicious smells, outstandingly beautiful smells.

I have been trying to train the photographer to feed on command. I stand and wait, the human calls, I come running and when I arrive, the photographer gives me a biscuit. Most of the time we get it right. (Oh sure I let Spencer help just so he can have a treat too.)

Occasionally, just occasionally, I get sidetracked by the smells. I want the treat, the photographer has been trained to give me a treat, but occasionally the smells get in the way of my path to the treat. Oh wonderful smells, delicious smells, outstandingly beautiful smells.

In fact if you were to see me, it is like my two sets of feet don't even talk to each other. I'll be headed toward the photographer, mouth watering and tongue lolling. I'll get a scent of something and while my back feet keep going, my front feet take a detour. But the nose always wins and I go find my smell.

I guess our next training session, I might work on having the photographer bring the treat to me.

Buddy the Wonder Dog?

Well, I thought I was a unique dog until I found out that I wasn't the only Buddy in the building. In fact, I am not the only Buddy on the web. What a blow to my ego! I really wanted to be Buddy the one and only Wonder Dog.

I knew about my buddy Buddy, and I discovered the terrier Little Buddy that lives upstairs. Then I overheard a conversation about another Buddy in the area. So I went surfing to find out just who out there had my name and just exactly what are they up to.

Here is what I found...

http://upsidedowndogs.com/pet1152/buddy-the-boxer-dog/
This is a really Cool Buddy with personality to match.

http://www.pawnation.com/2010/01/13/funny-dog-picture-air-buddy/
Super Buddy that can leap over tall buildings in a single bound.

http://www.lindademelophotography.com/blog/2009/06/16/buddy-linda-demelo-photography-dog-photography/
Thank Sirius for cut and paste, that is one long URL. The Buddy on this site could very well be a cousin on mine.
Well except for the face,
and ears
and tail.

http://pets.webshots.com/album/200132313objLlH
This looks like Little Buddy upstairs.
Well, except for the face,
and ears,
and tail.

http://www.buddydoghs.com/
Way cool site for a human society, especially dear to my heart since I came from SICSA.

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/funnypictures/ig/Funny-Clinton-Pictures/Clinton-and-Buddy.htm
By far my favorite Buddy picture. Unfortunately this Buddy has gone to find that great dog bone in the sky (RIP).

In my search I found a lot of neat Buddys out there, some good, some bad, some ugly. So I may not be Buddy the Wonder Dog, or even the only Buddy, but I am the only Buddy the Photo Dog, and that is fine with me.

Love,
Buddy

PS Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Mowing the Mountain

To hear her talk (whine really) you would think she lived on top of a mountain. She does not live on a mountain, or even a hill, it is really just a slope. Mind you it is a fairly steep slope that is along the front and all-l-l-l-l-l-l one side of the house, but it ain't no mountain.

She doesn't have a 'front yard' and a 'back yard' like most people (if you hadn't noticed by now, the artist isn't like most people). It is more like an up-yard, a steep-yard and an out-yard. The up-yard is the space right around the house, fairly small and flat. The steep-yard speaks for itself, and the out-yard is the four foot wide space between the sidewalk and the curb, also fairly flat.

The artist was complaining about how hard it was to mow the yard and how by the time she finished with the up-yard and the out-yard, she was too tired to do the steep-yard. Oh you poor dear!

Did it ever occur to you to do the hard part first? No? Well the yard is like any other problem, if you do the hard part first, by the time you are tired, you only have the easy part left.

Start with the most difficult part of the steep-yard, mow a little, then for a diversion and something a little easier, mow a some of the out-yard. When you are finished with those, and only then, start on the up-yard. Rest if you have to then get your butt back in gear and get it finished. If you don't get it all done in one day, that's okay as long as you don't give up on the plan.

And just a note to those of you with problems (and you know who you are): Problems are like weeds. You can cut them short so they blend in with the grass, but you aren't fooling anybody, they are still weeds no matter how green they may appear.

Love,
Buddy

The Defiant Dandilion

Daffy-down-dandy
Has come to town

With a green petticoat
And a yellow crown.

Did I mention it is Spring? Did I mention that when Spring arrives, the lawn is green, is instantly in need of mowing and weeds abound, especially dandilions?

One day there was snow on the ground, the next day there they were, deceptively pretty, pretending to welcome Spring with a plethora of yellow flowers. Oh sure, we are all happy to see some color, any color, after a very long, cold, gray winter.

I, for one, like to see the yellow petals turn to the downy white powder puff of seeds. It is fun to run through the yard, jumping over and through the clusters of dandilions and watch the seeds waft in the wind.

However, the artist isn't so fond of the sight. In fact she has had an on-going battle with one particular cluster of dandilions.

It all started innocent enough. Just a tiny yellow flower peaking through the long grass. The artist didn't have a lot of time, so the first weekend she figured that mowing and cutting the head off should be a temporary fix.

But no, that little sucker ducked down as the mower passed by and popped right back up, sticking out its tongue (phbtttttttt) as she made the next pass. The following morning the weed was four inches taller and two inches wider.

The following Saturday the artist decided to try Weed-B-Gone to take care of the weed. But no-o, Weed-B-Gone only made it angry. The next morning the dandilion was six inches taller, five inches wider and defiant.

Another week goes by and the artist figures *now* the mower will work. But no-o-o, the sneaky pest decided to bloom right next to the ground where the blades of the mower couldn't reach. There it stood the following morning, a foot tall, eight inches wide, eleven stalks topped with white seeds threatening to be released at the slightest hint of a breeze.

What to do? There is now a behemoth dandilion growing in the yard and it is going to replicate until the whole yard is assimilated. The artist has a plan, the ultimate weapon against a strong opponent, a shovel and a little elbow grease. Die daffy down dandy, die! Until next Spring that is.

Love,
Buddy

Happy Dog

It is Spring.
The sun is finally out.
The Humans are happy.
All is well in my world.

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone, have a Fiesta to celebrate!

Love,
Buddy

My apologies

I find that I have to apologize for my humans.

This is for the person in the car behind us on I35 this past Saturday.

I am so sorry that my humans did not understand that you are so much more important than they are.

I apologize that they were going the speed limit, which was not fast enough for you, and they didn't speed up or pull over so you could get to where you needed to go. That was extremely rude of them.

I appreciate that you did honk (several times) to let them know of your importance and am sorry they didn't respond in a manner that was satisfactory for you.

I also appreciate the nice wave you gave us as you sped past. However, I would like to say that it would have been so much prettier if you had used all of your digits instead of just the one.

Love,
Buddy

...and the beat goes on

If you can't get enough of Susan Boyle give a listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8r9lRJ6yHY

Love,
Buddy

Dreams do come true

There is a piece of cardboard in the studio that has little multi-colored pieces of paper taped to it.
Each piece of paper has something encouraging written on it. Tomorrow, a new piece of paper is going up. It will say "don't be afraid to dream because dreams do come true."

Go to YouTube at this URL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related

Make sure your sound is on and watch this video. It is a good thing I have long ears so the humans couldn't see the tears in my eyes.

Love,
Buddy