Busy Weekend

We guess the Collie Effect just wasn't strong enough.  We couldn't bark away that herricane.  The winds were not that strong but the waves and rain caused plenty of trouble for cyber-paw pals up north.  We hope that Skye is okay and are glad that Asta, Bailey and others survived Irene.  We are now watching Tropical Depression Twelve out in the Eastern Atlantic by Africa.  If you live in Florida, you watch the tropics this time of year.
** After we posted - we got an email from Skye, her pack is fine.** 

Sherman had a Great Vet Visit

Sherman had a vet visit.  He is doing fine and weighs 18 lbs.  He was a friendly little guy and all the staff at Lower Keys Animal Clinic love him.  Dog Dad was doing yard work that morning and came in and sat on the couch.  He woke up three minutes before our appointment.  Boy he moved so fast, Sherman didn't know what was going on.

On the canine front, Dogs With Blogs (DWB) is taking new members.  If you are an old member, you will need to visit them and register to be a member with the new DWB.  We became a member back in June 2007 as DWB member #506.  DWB had a total of 1395 members on the old blog list, before things came to a stop. 

We noted only seven Collies and fourteen Shelties on the blog list.  We'll concentrate on the collies.  The seven collie blogs were Cal (008), Tosca (233), Tara (288), Key West Collies (506), Tatum (743), Dreamer (819) and Islay (675).  Cal the first collie and lived in Frostbite Falls, MN.  His first post was in September 2004 and his last post on April 2008.  Tosca was the next DWB member and first posted in May 2006.  Tosca developed a huge following when she blogged a lot.  Since January 2009 Tosca has posted only five times though.  Tara started posting in April 2006 and posted this year.  Tara never was a prolific poster though.  Tatum is the only smooth collie in the old DWB blog list.  She started blogging around August 2007, and barks a lot about agility and collie rescues.  She is one of our good pals.  Then there was Dreamer, who blog life was short.  His  first posted in February 2008, posting six times in four months.  Islay took over the blog of one of our bestest pals, Charlie the Sheltie in September 2010.  We loved Charlie's blog, she was a grand old Sheltie Lady.  We hope Islay keeps posting because we love the stories he and his mum tell.  They are pawsome people.

We have since found other Collie blogs and two of them have registered as members on DWB.  They are D's Collies, Lady I and Lady II, who we know very well; and Shikota, that stars fellow Holmhaven Collies Shiloh and Dakota.
 
Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

Of Collies and Butterflys

We have been breathing a sigh of relief as Herricane Irene will not be visiting us.  The hoomans, dogs and cats in the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas are in our prayers today.  We hope Irene goes out to sea and does not impact the Carolines or East Coast. 

Sherman with a Special Report

Listening to the weather channel, we heard about the 1821 Herricane that went directly over New York City on 3 September.  That herricane caused a 13 foot rise in the tide in only one hour.  Then of course there was the Long Island Express Herricane of 1938, that caused much damage.  Those events make us worry about Asta and our other cyber-paw pals.

Trying to Bark Away a Herricane

A while ago Dog Dad mentioned something called the Butterfly Effect.  This Butterfly Effect believes that something small can have a huge impact on events.  With that in mind we decided to try our best to bark Irene away, so it wouldn't hurt any paw.  We call that the Collie Effect.  Dog Dad believes we are to late in the event to have an impact on the Herricane.  What do you think?

Dog Speed

Essex & Sherman

Watching Irene



The Collies like every paw in Florida is watching Tropical Storm Irene.  We are hoping that Irene does not develop into a herricane and does not harmfully impact any hooman or paw.  We follow several sites during herricane season.  We mention the sites in our 16 August 2008 post which you can access by clicking on the following hyperlink "Orion Rising".



Projected Path of Irene

Dog Dad told us way back on 15 October 1999, he was living in Key West when the eye of Herricane Irene passed right over Key West at about 9 AM.  He lived in some apartments back then and did not have a dog to protect him.    Dog Dad's first was Herricane Georges way back on 25 September 1998.  He was living near Fort Lauderdale back then, about ten minutes away from Holmhaven where we were born.  That whole incident was very nerve wracking on Dog Dad. 



As for us, Sherman is doing well with potty training.  He follows Essex around the house and especially outside.  He becoming an awesome pup.  Tomorrow Dad goes back to work.  I know we will both miss having him home.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

Did the Spirit Move Sherman?

This afternoon Sherman barked by the sliding glass doors, so he could go outside and go potty.  Dog Dad was totally amazed at this action.  It seems Sherman is finally getting house broken.  If he knew how to do a jig, we think he would have danced one.  Sherman was very glad that he had made Dog Dad so happy.  It was a year ago today that GrandPaw (Dog Dad's Pawther) crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  We are wondering if the spirit of GandPaw worked some magic on Sherman. 

Practicing Life Raft Drills

Chilling in the Kennel

 Dog Dad got plenty of calls from his siblings.  All of them miss GrandPaw and GrandMutter.  The family is kind of strange without them there.  While Dog Dad misses them, he would want them to be in the shape when they were active.  He wouldn't want them in the quality of life the last couple years of their lives.  Dog Dad values all the lessons they taught him.  God Bless all of those waiting for us across the Rainbow Bridge.

Essex Gets Comfortable on the Couch

We have enjoyed having Dog Dad around the last couple weeks.  We will be sad to see him go back to work on Monday.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

Does My Butt Look Funny?

Dog Dad is a bit of a warden.  I get put behind bars while he sleeps or if he goes out.  Great Auntie Essex gets to roam around, why not me.  I've tried to show Dog Dad I'm a big dog by drinking out of Essex's water bowl and even went out for a walk with Essex and Dog Dad this morning for the first time.  Toward the end I tried to get Dog Dad to step on my paw, so he would carry me.  I finally succeeded three-quarters way through the walk.

In Puppy Jail

Drinking from Essex's Bowl

What's in This Water?

Dog Dad has been talking about my tail.  He says it makes my butt look funny because there is a sudden line where the tail turns so much darker than the rest of my fur.  Harrumph, I think he is just jealous he doesn't have a tail.

Tail Shows Striking Line Between Sable and Black Fur

Essex Chilling Out

I love my Great Auntie Essex and follow her around at times.  If I forget my dog manners she will put me in my place.  All of a sudden there will be a RRRRRRR, she is standing over me and I'm on my back on the ground, yelping.  I know she likes me because Dog Dad caught us playing together on Friday.

Dog Speed

Sherman

Training Sherman

Dog Dad and I continue to train Sherman.  He hasn't gotten the concept of letting Dog Dad know when he wants to use the bathroom.  Then of course he doesn't like the hot humid weather outside.  Sherman and I are getting along, and I have alerted him that I have boundaries.  Cuteness doesn't work with me.  Dad has taken a lot of pictures of Sherman, just like he did when I was a pup.  He says we grow so very fast. 

Dog Speed,

Essex


A Toy From Sasha's Mom

Getting Hugs from the Huskies Mom

Playing with Essex's Puppy Toy

Sleeping - Does This Pup Know Yoga?

Sherman Arrives in Key West

Sherman has finally joined us in Key West.  We left Key West around 10 AM .  The drive up the Keys was slow and traffic heavy.  The weather was overcast, but no rain on the way up.  Dad stopped by Pet Smart to pick up some Purina 1 Puppy Chow for Large Breeds for Sherman.  The stores don't carry that particular Purina 1 brand in Key West.  We met Sherman around 2:45 PM Saturday.  When we got in Dad was swarmed by a dozen or so Holmhaven Collies.  When Dog Dad sat down Midnight, Star and Emily jumped up on Dad and licking him.  It seemed all the Collie love my Dad. 

Lil talked about the Collie Drill Team and showed us pawtographs.  The weather started getting dark.  I said good bye to my tri-color brother Filip and my sister Frannie. We started heading east to see Jake and JH.  The rain was so hard our windshield wipers had problems keeping up and we could see lightning strike the ground.  We called, told them we were taking a rain check on our visit.  They agreed that we should head back home.  The weather to the west and south was a lot better.  Some overcast and rain but Dog Dad could handle that. 


In the SUV driving south

Sherman in the back of the SUV

Sherman lost his lunch in the car.  We stopped in Cudjoe Key to visit Bill and Kay.  They Grand Kids were there, so we had a better than expected time.  We got home around 9:30 PM.  Sherman ate a full meal and started settling into his surroundings.  Dad is tired from the trip.  Sherman is tired from the trip and stress of being in a new home.

Sherman in his new home



Essex watches Sherman

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Sherman know Dog Dad loves him and is getting used to his new home.  It is now a time of healing.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

The Buckeye Bullet

It looks like we will be going up Saturday to pick up Sherman.  It promises to be a wet rainy day in Southern Florida.  Dad's not thrilled with driving in the rain, but Sunday doesn't seem much more promising.  We are excited in many ways with the idea of training a new collie.  We will hopefully get to see our DWB cyber-paw pals Jake and JH.

Jesse Owens - The Buckeye Bullet

Earlier today Dad and I took a trip in the WABAC machine.  We went back 75 years ago to the Berlin Summer Olympics Games.  The Olympic Games were played from 1 - 18 August, and Grand Paw was only 17 years old back then.  The hero for the US was Jesse Owens, who put on an amazing show, winning four gold medals.  About three years after those Olympics, the world went mad and went to a very, very dark place.

Jesse Cleveland Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama in 1913.  His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio when he was nine.  He went to school in the Cleveland area and went to college at Ohio State University, where he earned the nickname the "Buckeye bullet."   This all makes us wonder.  Do you think Jesse was a Cleveland Indians fan?

Looking forward to what tomorrow will bring.

Essex & Dog Dad

Watching Emily

Dad and I are watching Tropical Storm Emily closely.  Emily may impact the arrival date of my Great Nephew Sherman.  Dad will not drive north over those bridges unless it was a dire emergency, if there are tropical storm winds.  It just wouldn't be prudent.  If we delay a day, we delay a day.

Current Emily Forecast

We hope that Emily doesn't strengthen to a herricane and it doesn't impact our plans to pick up Sherman.  So far it doesn't look like she will become a herricane.   We are crossing our paws.

Essex & Dog Dad

 

Lucy the Smooth Collie

Our smooth collie friend Tatum lives in Utah and does lots of agility stuff.  Her Mum and Dad do Collie Rescue, so you know they are special.  We found out today that Tatum's big sister Lucy is due to cross the Rainbow Bridge Wednesday. Tatum's Mum and Dad will be very misty eyed the next several days.  We know how much every paws support meant to us, and hope you can offer Tatum's family the same kind words that consoled us with.  Tatum is DWB member 743 and we have followed her for several years.  Her Mum definitely has a tender heart.  You can find her by clicking here to go to Tatum Tot Spice and the offer them the support of the cyber-paw. 

Lucy

At our house, we continue to prepare for the arrival of Sherman.  Life will be interesting again and this will once more be a two collie home.

Essex & Dog Dad