Happy Collieween

Happy Collieween to all our cyber-paw pals. It promises to be a wet Collieween in Key West. The closest approach of Tropical Storm Noel is projected to be 173 miles (278 kilometers) to the west just after mid-night. The weather forecast calls for 30 mph (48 km/h) winds , a temperature of 74 F (23 C) and 50% chance of rain during the time the little hoomans come visiting. We might not see the usual steady stream of little visitors. Dad hopes the weather doesn't put a damper on things as he bought 15 bags of candy. He bought 14 bags last year and ran out fifteen minutes before the end of visitor hours.

Even other dogs celebrate Collieween.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Five Days to Collieween

A friend sent us these unknown Collies showing their Collieween Costumes. We just had to BOL at the fast food collies.

Trick or treat, we wish we had that choice. All of us dogs with blogs know it is trick then treat. Usually one little small piece for all that hard work. Gesh, but we digress.

Dad looks forward to Halloween because normally we go through over than ten bags of candy. Typically we have a one hundred, two hundred or more visitors. As for us collies, we will be relegated to the back room. I gets real barky and Dad doesn't want me to loose that wonderful Essex repeating bark. Deacon forgets his manners when he gets real excited; with all the little visitors Dad figures he would jump on the little ones and lick ever single face.

Fast Food Collies dressed for Collieween.

We can honestly say we don't know these Collies.

Wilma Plus Two

Auntie Essex, why is Dad so wistful?

Deacon today marks the two years anniversary that Herricane Wilma visited Key West! 2005 was a very active Herricane year, so many tropical storms the hoomans ran out of names. That year Key West saw Dennis (July), Katrina (August) and Rita (September) impact us.

Katrina is that the one JH was separated from his first family?

Yes, Deacon. Katrina was only a Category I herricane when it passed Key West. However, it grew into ferocious hurricane that destroyed many places and caused so much anguish too many pets living near New Orleans. Many a dog never saw their owner again. I saw pictures of many stranded pets. JH is very lucky to have found such a wonderful loving home. JH and Jake have a Herricane Wilma stories too.

Did you and Dad stay at home for Wilma?

No, we left while Wilma was a Category V battering Cancun, Mexico. We went north to Valdosta, Georgia to visit Lucy. The weather was calm, cool and sunny. While we visited the storm swung east and damaged areas in southern Florida and the Keys. Over 90% of Key West was under storm surge water at one time. Hoomans paddle boats over the roads, cars caught on fire, and Dad knew people that had over four feet of water inside their homes.

Wow, that is a lot of salt water. Did we take a lot inside our home?

We were lucky though our home only had about four inches (100 mm) of water inside. Home did smell like a kitty litter box until Dad and Bob, our neighbor, pulled up and threw out all the carpet. A lot of houses had mounds of trash outside twice as tall as a collie. Many dogs and people lost things. I lost Tigger and some other stuff, but most importantly I was with Dad. Angel Paws was a mess and it was several weeks before Dad took me over to do fence patrol.

Auntie Essex, did you help Dad?

I kept Dad sane during all the clean up. He’s told me many times that walking me was the only thing that felt normal. That every day thing kept him from feeling overwhelmed. I stayed by his bed for several weeks after we had come back home. After all a good dog can tell when their Dad or Mom needs them.

Dog gone it Auntie Essex, I can see why you watch over Dad.

Deacon, we’ve made Dad feel better. It is time to think of good things like playing at Angel Paws, Hattie and Cassi, chasing squirrels, the taste of cheese and other happy thoughts.

A dog keeps lookout,

while his Dad paddles down a street.

Cars and storm surge. Some caught fire

Lucy welcomed Essex into her home

Pre-Wilma - four-month old Essex with Tigger

Tigger was good to sleep with too.

Deacon - Then & Now

Aooooozaaa cyber-paw pals, it is my Now & Then turn. I was barked on 12 July 2006 at Holmhaven Collies. That September I left my litter mates and moved into a good home in St. Augustine, Florida with two ladies and who named me Laddie. As a puppy I was a very excitable and would jump on people. The one lady was elderly and due to that habit, I was sadly returned to Holmhaven in late November.

Well, Auntie Essex had been writing favorable reports and convinced Dad to get a second collie. Dad saw my picture and contacted Lil at Holmhaven Collies on 22 November. Lil told him a guy was stopping by to look at me the next day. Well on 23 November, the guy came and I went home with him. Amazingly, the very next day I was back at Holmhaven, something about their dog just crossed the rainbow bridge and they emotionally couldn’t handle another dog so soon. Lil called Dad, who was like a puppy with a new chew toy. He quickly made plans to pick me up on 10 December, which was his next scheduled trip to Miami. On 10 December I met Dad and Auntie Essex, who reunited with her Holmhaven relatives and of course her litter mate and my father Buddy.

Dad, Auntie Essex and me liked each other from the start. Dad decided to rename because the name Laddie reminded him of an episode of the TV show The Simpsons. In that episode Bart trades in his dog, Santa’s Little Helper, for the TV Collie icon Laddie. Dad didn’t want a name reminding him of The Simpsons. I was renamed Deacon, which I think is pawtastic. When I first came to Key West I was a couple pounds lighter then Auntie Essex. Now I am 30 lbs heavier. To tell the truth cyber-paw pals, I was getting worried if I would ever find a furever home. Well, here are my now and then pictures.

Dog Speed --- Deacon

Four months old and looking for a new home

December 2006 - At Angel Paws

December 2006 - On the run with Auntie Essex

12 July 2007 - Celebrating my first barkday

September 2007 - Chewing a stick in Northern Ohio

Essex - Then & Now

Tosca barked a mass tagathon for then and now pictures. Deacon and I decided to break it into two parts with me going first. I was barked on 13 October 2003 and the Great Dane decided I should adopted Dad on 31 December 2003. I was the last of my litter to leave Holmhaven. I've taken care of Dad when he was sick, kept him sane after Herricane Wilma drowned the Keys and I introduce him to all kinds of people. Dad says that I made it easier for people to approach him and talk. You can tell we love each other and he takes care of us. We go on morning walks, spend evenings at Angel Paws Dog Park and we keep him company in the evenings. We get some treats but he doesn't over do it. I am convinced Dad is a Collie kind of guy. Here are my pictures.

Dog Speed --- Essex

My Holmhaven puppy picture

I am about eight weeks old

January 2004 - God's dog toy - a coconut

January 2004 - Collie First Class Essex reporting for duty

June 2004 - Posing for a picture with a stick

My first birthday - October 2004

April 2005 - Taking it easy

December 2006 - With my nephew Deacon

October 2007 - Watching a Cleveland Browns

football game with Dad in Northern Ohio

Trip Photographs

Below are pictures from our trip. We had a fun but we are glad to be home. We met old friends Clyde and Hans. Clyde is around four years old. We stayed several days in Cincinnati, it was funny to see him dance and jump with joy when Deacon and I exited the car. Hans is seven years old that lives next door to Dad's parents. He was the first Collie I ever met in Ohio, he has a detached retina. That doesn't slow him down and stop him from playing.

There were new paw pals during this visit too. We spent plenty of time playing in the back yard of Cassi (two years old) and Hattie (eight years old). We had fun romping and playing in their yard. They told us about funny white stuff called snow and introduced Deacon to his first squirrel. Lady is a petite collie (three years old and 45 lbs); she visited us only on Five Collie Sunday. We stayed with Daisy Mae's family in Georgia for two days on our way back to the Keys. She is a female Golden Retriever that weighs around 50 lbs and is only a year old.

Essex appreciated everyone wishing her a Happy Barkday on 13 October.

Clyde on the lookout in Cincinnati

Clyde resting after a hard day of play

Our new friends Cassi and Hattie

Deacon, Essex, Hattie and Cassi

Cassi and Deacon exchange greetings

Taking a break from play.

Deacon being silly

Hattie and Deacon sleep while Dad watches baseball

Lady struts her stuff on five Collie Sunday

Five Collie Sunday - Cassi, Essex, Deacon, Hattie and Lady

Deacon meets Hans across the fence

Essex with goodies from the "Grateful Dog Bakery"
We went on Collie Day and got 10% off.

Essex and Dad's great nephew pose for a picture

Deacon and Daisy Mae at play.

Daisy Mae sits still for a momement

Essex's Barkday Tomorrow

We are in Statesboro, GA right now visiting our Daisy Mae, my Dad's niece, her husband and four kids. Daisy Mae adopted a them last year. We will be headed back home for my Barkday tomorrow. I sure am excited to be getting back home after three long weeks away. That will be the best present getting home for my Barkday.

I will be doing a post but it will be latter in the day, as we have another long twelve hour drive in front of us.

We miss our friends Clyde, Hattie, Cassie, Lady and Hans in Ohio and will miss Daisy Mae when we leave Georgia. However, it is like Toto barked in the Wizard of Oz "There is no place like home."

Dog Speed

Essex

Off to Cincinnati

We have met a lot of good friends here in Northern Ohio. We have been playing a lot with Cassi and Hattie. We got treats at a barkery for dogs. How cool is that cyber-paw pals? Cassi and Hattie gave us blinking lights for when we walked home at night. We really appreciated their concern.

All good things have to come to an end though. We are going to heading back south and should make it back home on Essex's Barkday. Late today we will go back to see Clyde in Cincinnati, Ohio. After several days there it will be off to Statesboro, GA to visit Daisy Mae. Daisy Mae is a Golden Retriever that adopted some of Dad's relatives. We forgive her for not being a Collie, but then the world would be boring if we had only perfect collies that our friend Tosca.

Dog Speed,

Essex and Deacon

Five Collie Sunday

Sunday was exciting cyber-paw pals. There were five collies that got together. Essex was the only tri-color, the other four were all the traditional sable and white color. There was Deacon, Cassi, Hattie and Lady. We had so much fun running around and playing.

After that was done, I met the collie next door to Dad's parents house. Hans is a seven year old sable and white collie. It sure was nice to meet another male collie. Deacon was starting to think he was the only male in town.

Dog Speed,

Essex and Deacon