7.31.2012

Tuckered Out Tuesday

Hi, everyone ... it's me, Tucker!

And I gotta be honest ... I'm a bit tuckered out today ... so I am taking a day off of work today to stay home and rest up. 
Taken with Mom's eye phone and using her Lumie app (oh, wait - she says it's an iPhone, NOT an EYE phone ... oh, yeah, then why does she always have it up by her face like some kind of third EYE?)

Taken with Mom's eye/i phone and using the Fisheye Pro app

Happy Tuesday, every-buddy! 

7.30.2012

7.20.2012

Friends Friday

Hi, everyone ... it's me, Tucker.  But you'll have to just remember what I look like, because Mom hasn't taken ANY new pictures of me in a LONG time! But I did find some pictures on her computer that were NOT of me.  When I asked her she said that these were some pictures she had taken of Aunt K's dog, Cassie.  She said she took them during the vacation that she didn't take me on.  Insult, meet Injury.  

Anyway ... since there are no recent pictures of ME to share with you, here are a few of THAT OTHER DOG whose name I am choosing not to remember.  I guess she's cute and all, but really.  This sort of gross neglect of yours truly cannot be allowed to continue.  I am going to have to put my paws down. 

  





Have a great weekend, everyone! 

7.17.2012

Remembering K

I'm sure that most of you throughout the Blogosphere have heard, as we did this morning, about K's Journey Over The Rainbow.  We learned the sad news this morning, as many of you probably did, from our friend Ann at Zoolatry.  



K was the treasured companion of KB, and over the past few months it has been a privilege to witness both K and KB's strength in the face of the adversity of K's cancer diagnosis.  Their shared zest for life and commitment to making the most of all the precious moments of each day that they spent together was incredibly inspiring.  In fact, even though I only discovered KB's blog after K was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, visiting their blog each day was, although often poignant, rarely a sad experience. Sure, we shed more than a few tears, but in truth, the beautiful photos of K romping through her world with courage and strength and joy, were uplifting and life-affirming more often than they were sad.  A shout out to life, as it were, rather than a dirge of imminent death.  

Which doesn't make this sudden loss any easier to take - after all, we had all watched K, with KB ever by her side, beat the odds over and over again.  How can it be that she is gone, never to romp again on this earthly plane?  

As sad as I am right now, though, I know it is nothing to what KB is feeling, and my heart physically aches for her pain.  Everyone who has ever loved a dog has either experienced, or one day will, the loss of one.  Dogs just don't live as long as we do, and the truth is that no matter how much time we have with them, it's never enough.  I had sixteen incredible years with my Dakotah ... and they were not enough by half.    But K's loss at such a young age, when she should by rights have had many more years to romp through the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies with KB, is just so unfair. 

Still ... the only way to ensure that we never have to suffer the loss of a beloved animal companion is to never open our hearts to them in the first place.  And that is no way to live.  So today I am going to spend an extra moment or two with each of my treasured companions.  I will lay my hands on each of their heads, or scratch the soft underside of their chins, and give thanks for the unflagging love and companionship they give me each and every day we are lucky enough to get to spend together, because each of these days, in fact, each of these moments, is a precious gift, and should be acknowledged as such. 

K and KB knew that, and they made the most of every day they had to be together.  In their names, and in K's honor, let's all try to do the same.

If you'd like to stop by and offer your condolences to KB, you can do so HERE.

Romp free, sweet K ...

7.14.2012

A Salute To Canine Veterans

Here in Tampa, it's pretty easy to keep the contributions and sacrifices made by our men and women in the armed forces in the forefront of our minds, because we are pumping gas and getting groceries next to these brave in-uniform individuals on a daily basis.  Because it's the very least I can do, when I have occasion to, I always make a point to offer them my sincere thanks for their part in keeping our country safe.  I just wish I had the opportunity to extend the same thanks to the brave dogs who work alongside them. 

But three of these brave pups are getting much more than that - a well-deserved retirement.  (And in one instance, a new pink collar!) 

This is Senior Airman Brandon Denton and his 10 year old German Shepherd, Conny, before the recent retirement ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base.  Airman Denton and Conny served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and Conny will now enjoy a life of retirement with  her long-time handler.  

Photo credit:  Kathleen Flynn / Tampa Bay Times 


For the full story, go HERE:  MacDill retires three military working dogs 

And thank you to Airman Denton and Conny for your brave and selfless service to our country.


7.12.2012

This is the way we go to work ...

... go to work ... go to work ... this is the way we go to work so early in the morning! 



Make it a great day, everyone! 

7.11.2012

WORKING DOG WEDNESDAY

Hi, everyone ... it's me, Tucker!  

And I am hard at work! 

See?



Have a great day, everyone!  

7.09.2012

Man-Cat Monday with Finn

Happy Monday, everyone!  It's me, Finn!

I know, two posts in a row!  And as for how I managed that ... it's pretty simple.  I'm the baby, and that's how I roll.  BWHAAAHAA!

This weekend was great ... I just kicked back, relaxed, and occasionally contemplated the 
meaning of life.  Here's what I decided:  contemplation is best accomplished in front of a sunny window.  The contemplation  process is much enhanced by one's belly furs being toasty warm.  

What did everyone else do this weekend?

7.03.2012

Ticked off Tuesday (with Finn)


Mom note:  Gotta love all those doggy nose prints on the bottom of the glass.  I can see I have a date with a bottle of Windex this weekend! 

7.02.2012

Our Bark Box Is HERE!

So ... last month, one of the blogs I visit regularly, That Touch of Pit, wrote a blog post about something called a Bark Box.  You can read that post HERE!  

To say the least, I was intrigued.  A monthly delivery of goodies addressed to my favorite pups for as low as $17 a month with 10% going to an animal charity?  Where do I sign up?  

Well, I signed up HERE and so can you!

I was on vacation when my box came, and last week was so crazy that even though I took a sneak peek, it wasn't until today that Tucker & Phoebe got to see what was inside.  What WAS in the box?  Well, let's see.  There was:  

1) A Soggy Paws towel by Farfetched!


From the accompanying informational card in the Bark Box:  "The Soggy Paws dog towel by Farfetched is a real winner for all seasons.  Whether you're coming in from the rain, drying off from a swim, or after a walk in the snow, just pop your hands into the convenient pockets and get dryin'."  

I will DEFINITELY be making sure this handy towel gets into the bag we take to the dog park/beach!

2) Double Nut Super Boost treats from Tumbleweed & Eddies

Here's Tucker anticipating my (too slow) hand delivering one of these treats to his eager mouth: 



And here are the treats themselves:

Bark Box says:  "These Double Nut Super Boost treats are grain free and packed with vitamin rich and antioxidant superfoods.  When your dog falls in love with these tasty treats, visit their website to buy more.  It's FREE SHIPPING on every order!" 

Mom note:  Tucker & Phoebe LOVED these treats, but I do want to point out that while some of Tumbleweed & Eddie's treats may be grain free, these particular ones aren't.  The ingredients are oat flour, ground peanuts, quinoa, flax, and coconut oil.  


This is by FAR the biggest hit of our inaugural Bark Box!  And to prove it, here's a short video of Phoebe enjoying (read obsessing) over the Gimme Gummy.  


From the Bark Box info card:  "The Gimme Gummy from Safemade is safe, durable, and a boatload of fun for your furry friend.  Made of food-grade silicon, the toy is freezer, oven, and dishwasher safe.  Check out the recipe section on their website for fun treats to bake or freeze right inside!" 

I happened to have a sample bag of Fromm Duck & Sweet Potato kibble in my desk drawer (I use it for treats) and so to test out the toy, I put maybe ten pieces of kibble in the Gimme Gummy and then plugged the hole with one of the Tumbleweed and Eddie's treats mentioned above. I filled another food toy with the same amount of kibble and gave that one to Tucker and the Gimme Gummy to Phoebe, and it kept her occupied for well over an hour.  The kibble was shaken out and gone in pretty short order, but in the process the treat became moistened with saliva and began to slide backwards into the cavity of the toy, remaining oh so tantalizingly out of reach of even the most determined swipes of her little tongue.  It kept her occupied for the duration of one thirty minute conference call and a quick lunch with colleagues in the break room down the hall.  By the time she had conquered the toy and extricated the treat, Tucker had finished with his treat ball and gone to lie down in the dogs' shared office bed to gnaw a bullystick.  The Gimme Gummy is my new best friend!  



This was a single serving cup of the Minty Fruit flavor which contains pureed bananas, apples, and pears, along with water and peppermint extract.  Tucker & Phoebe don't generally like frozen stuff, so I'll be gifting this to one of my friends' or relatives' dogs for their enjoyment.  My friend J's German Shepherd loves ice cubes, so I think he might enjoy this.  

Think your pup might enjoy one of these Cool Treats?  Here's what Bark Box had to say:  "What could possibly be more refreshing on a hot summer day than a frozen smoothie?  Pop this Cool Treat by Mr. Barksmith into the freezer, then serve it up to your pooch as a cool snack.  All natural and made in the USA!" 




We were SUPER excited to find a sample size of this great product in our Bark Box, since we are BIG fans of Stella & Chewy's around this house!  The pups & kitties here at Chez Tucker are raw fed, but sometimes when we travel, bringing raw food along isn't convenient.  Stella & Chewy's Freeze Dried meals (which also come in Chewy's Chicken, Dandy Lamb, Duck Duck Goose, and Surf N' Turf) are often what we turn to in these instances.  These meals are made with raw, naturally raised (no added hormones or antibiotics) meat, poultry, or fish, plus organic fruits & veggies.  No grains, no artificial preservatives, salt, sugar, or coloring.  And they're made in the USA in the great state of Wisconsin!

So that's what's in our Bark Box this month!  We can't WAIT for next month!

P.S.  We were not contacted by Bark Box or any of the companies whose products were included in it to do a review of the Bark Box or the products contained therein.  We were just really happy to read about it on one of the blogs we frequent, and we thought some of you might be, too!