Key West Collies

2011 Review

2012-01-01T14:02:00.000-05:00

We wish all our cyber-paw pals a barky New Year. We hope 2012, the Year of the Dragon is kind to every paw. For us 2011 was a difficult year, colored by the premature passing of Deacon. On the bright side Sherman was introduced to our pack. Good friends like Sasha, Max, Duke and Gino have left Key West. New friends like Tonks, Kiana, Raman and Gibbs are new regulars at Angel Paws now. Now for the Key West Collies 2011 recap.
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18 January – Silly hooomans incident at Angel Paws

09 February– Our Collie Chum Hattie Crosses the Rainbow Bridge

Our Chum Hattie

22 February – Christchurch, New Zealand is struck by a 6.3 earthquake. We read about it in the Bark-a-lot Lodge Shelties blog which includes a pawsome video clip.

27 February – The Collie next door Kylie leaves to live with her Grand-Maw

04 March – Deacon gets tagged on the snout at Angel Paws over dog treats

09 March – Sasha, the Rat Terrorist. leaves Key West for North Florida

Sasha

11 March –

Japan

is struck by a 9.0 earthquake and struck by a tidal wave. Fukushima nuclear power plant is damaged. The confirmed death toll reaches 15,844 with 3,451 missing.

26 April - Gracie Lou joins our collie chum Cassie’s pack in Ohio.

Gracie Lou

22 May – Joplin, Missouri is devastated by a tornado.

27 May – Great sadness descends on our pack as Essex’s nephew Deacon crosses the bridge in a freak tragic accident at our home.

Deacon

05 June – Essex’s great nephew, Sherman is born.

13 June – Christchurch, New Zealand is struck by a 6.4 Earthquake.

24 June – Essex’s great nephew Shiloh signs our guest book. Sherman brother Dakota later goes to live with Shiloh

Shiloh

04 July – Sir Oliver e-barks us from Maine and we post about him four days later.

Sir Oliver

05 July– Dog Dad’s sisters dog Raffie Crosses the Rainbow Bridge.

Raffie

09 July – Shiloh starts his own blog.

18 July – Last Space Shuttle launch into outer space.

22 July – Great Uncle Bobby’s Mom visits Essex & Dog Dad

Great Uncle Bobby's Dog Mom & Essex

03 August – Lucy the Smooth Collie Crosses the Bridge

Lucy

06 August – Sherman comes to Key West to join our pack. One brudder Dakota joined Shiloh’s pack in central Florida, while his sable Brudder Duke went to live in North Carolina.

Essex, Sherman & Dog Dad

21 – 28 August – Hurricane Irene slams the east coast of the United States.

25 September – Sherman’sFirst visit to Angel Paws Dog Park.

04 October – Cousin Toby at Holmhaven Collies crosses the Rainbow Bridge

Toby

17-19 October – Heavy Rains hit Key West. Lots of street flooding occurs.

21 October – Claudette, the Dog Mom of the Hudson Furkids crosses the Rainbow Bridge due to cancer. She is greatly missed by many DWBers.

27 October – 17 November – Lady I and her Dog Mom visit us in Key West.

Lady I

29 October – Snow and Ice storm hit the east coast. Our pal Skye is without power for 4.5 days

05 December – Essex catches giardia, we get medicine from our Vet.

19 December – The beginning of the “Tick Wars.”

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We didn't realize so much happened in 2011 until we sat down and did this post. May the lord protect and watch over all of you.

Dog Speed,

Essex, Sherman and Dog Dad

Essex's Eight Year Barkaversary

2011-12-31T10:07:00.001-05:00

Me and Dog Dad are sitting looking at each other. Eight years ago Dog Dad got in his Ford Explorer and drove to the Fort Lauderdale area to bring me into his life. We are reminiscing me crawling up his arm as he left Holmhaven. I was scared to leave Holmhaven. I have to admit that I made a good choice in my Dog Dad. We have been through many things over those eight years.

We have seen many dogs and people come and leave Angel Paws Dog Park and Key West. I was there to comfort during several Rainbow Bridge crossings. Grand-Maw in 2008, Grand-Paw in 2010 and the crossing of my nephew Deacon in 2011. I helped him keep it together during the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma, which flooded most of Key West. We had happy visits to Ohio together and shared the immense joy of having Sherman come into our lives. Dad tells me I did an amazing job training Sherman the way of the Collie.

Essex's Holmhaven Puppy Picture - 2003

Checking Out the Neighbors Yard - January 2004

Hopefully, the three of us will have many more years together.

Dog Speed,

Essex

Essexmas 2011

2011-12-25T23:38:00.095-05:00

We hope all of you had a pawsome Essexmas. We received plenty of stuff and enjoyed ourselves. Dog Dad got a painting of Deacon on slate, that caused him to get a little misty eyed, he still misses his Collie Ambassador when he thinks about it. He does love Sherman too. So here are some pictures of our Essexmas presents for our pack.

Dog Speed,

Essex, Sherman & Dog Dad

A Blanket from Dog Dad

A Toy From Stevie-Grrr-Wonder

A Present from Dog Dad Sister Marge

A Sqeaky Toy, Pawsome

A Cookie Jar and Treats From Santy Paws

Collar, a leash and a Throw for our Couch

Presents from Marge & Becky

A Treat Jar

Rawhides from Bev in Virginia

A Pawtographed Copy of Joel Walton's Book

Essex Opens Marges Rawhide Treats

We Got Dad a Tote Bag for the Park

Brudder Steve's Present to Dad

Some Cards from our Cyber Pals

Essexmas Eve

2011-12-24T20:55:00.004-05:00

Sherman is so excited. Essexmas is almost here. Sherman can't wait to see Santy Paws. We have been extra good. Essex has trained her great nephew the way of the collie. We put up with silly red hats. Santy Paws, please be good to us.

Dog Speed and Merry Essexmas to all,

Essex & Sherman

Ticks

2011-12-19T22:19:00.001-05:00

Dad is not a happy camper right now. He found a tick on Essex and then found over twenty on Sherman. Dad is guessing Sherman is picking them up at the dog park. In the eight years Essex has been with Dad, if he picked off two from her or Deacon in year, that was a lot. He has went several months at a time without finding a single tick. This @#&*#) twenty, that is a lot and it going to make him extra vigilant. .

Now, we were due to get our medication on the 24th, but it will be a bit early this month. Essex will get hers tonight and Sherman will get his tomorrow. Dad needs to get him weighed at the vets office first. He doesn't want to put to much on Sherman because he is afraid he'll get sick.

As for the @#&*#) ticks. After removing them, Dad boils them in water. Kill the little @#&*#) is what Dog Dad says.

Essex & Sherman

Essexmas Baking 2011

2011-12-17T13:01:00.005-05:00

We want everyone that Essex is doing pawsome. She is eating regular and that nasty giardia bug is leaving her alone. Sherman is growing like a collieweed. He is now taller than Essex. Things have been kind of busy for Dog Dad. He has been doing Essexmas baking. When he does that, we just chill out.

Sherman & Essex chilling out

Sherman is getting tall

Walnut Rounds

Petticoat tails

Pecan Delights

Mazurki

Czechaslovakian Cookies

Anise Oil Cookies

Angel Food Cake

Flan

Placzek

Giardia

2011-12-05T16:00:00.002-05:00

Dog Dad was worried about Essex this weekend. She barked four times Thursday night-Friday morning to let her outside. When he came home after work she had thrown up twice and he noted some dark liquid stool on the floor. She wasn't hungry Friday night but Dog Dad doesn't get excited if she doesn't eat her food. She does that now and again. When she didn't eat Saturday and Sunday but she still seemed to be in good shape running around Angel Paws Dog Park. Dog Dad was concerned and confused, but he knew he was going to the vet.

Essex not feeling well

Dr. Wadell looked at Essex. She looked in good shape and Doc took a stool sample. Essex didn't like getting the probe stuck in her rear end. Doc looked at the smear and noticed this parasite called giardia. The giardia bug causes an upset tummy and diarrhea. It can come from drinking contaminated water or from animal feces. We got some medicine for Essex. Sherman is taking the medicine as a preventative measure. Dog Dad decided that Essex won't be visiting Angel Paws for several days as he doesn't want to spread the parasite to other pups. Sherman, that lucky pup, will able to go though. The best news is Essex will be fine.

Sherman the white nosed collie

A nice white nose

Here's barking at you

Sherman in the meanwhile had fun around the yard. He was digging in the sand where the pool used to be. Dad had to take some pictures of Sherman with his sandy white nose.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

We hope all of our friends in the US had a pawsome Thanksgiving. After Dog Dad came back from visiting friends, we got to spend a long time at the Dog Park. Sherman played with Gibbs. Those two really like each other.

Gibbs and Sherman playing

We have plenty to be thankful for. Angel Paws Dog Park, a good home, pawsome cyber-paw pals, friends and extra sharp cheddar cheese.

Essex is thinking

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

Dog-ter Strange Tooth

2011-11-17T20:29:00.001-05:00

After an extended stay Lady I finally left to go back home to Georgia. Her Mom stayed in a hotel, while Lady I chilled with us. We sure enjoyed having her around. Lady I and Essex told me tall tails about the Dog Park and other Key West adventures. Sherman enjoyed having Lady I around that he tried to stop her from going.

Lady I at rest

Sherman tries to make Lady stay with us

Lady's Mom gives Essex a kiss goodbye

Dog Dad has been calling Sherman, Dog-ter Strange Tooth the last four days. One of Sherman's canine baby teeth hasn't fallen out yet. Dad says it looks funny that one adult canine and the baby tooth still there. Dad isn't worried because the baby tooth is loose and he figures it will fall out soon.

Red arrow points to baby tooth

Last Saturday Sherman was weighted. He is now 41 pounds. Hard to believe how much he has grown.

Our boy, Sherman

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

11-11-11

2011-11-11T23:45:00.002-05:00

We hope that everyone had a pawsome Veterans Day. Dad did some yard work and house cleaning today. We always enjoy having him around, instead of at work.

Originally Veterans Day was called Armistice Day in memory of the signing of the Armistice that ended the First World War. That ended that War at the 11:00 AM, 11 November 1918, or 11-11-11 (11th hour or the 11th day or the 11th month. President Woodrow Wilson had us celebrate 11 November 1919 as Armistice Day. Then in 1926 President Calvin Coolidge signed every 11 November into a holiday. In 1954 President Eisenhower had the name changed to Veterans Day.

New York Times, 11 November 1918
From Wikipedia

Sherman is growing up quickly. He is just a bit smaller than Essex. He is a brave lad. When a Great Dane came to visit, he calmly walked right up to it. He is quick to roll on his back, but rarely does Sherman tuck his tail. He is becoming a great collie. We think his late Uncle Deacon would have been proud of him, just like his Great Auntie Essex.

05 November -Gibbs and Sherman Playing

Gibbs Getting After Sherman

Essex Nearby but Watching Her Fence

07 November - Sherman & Leo Wrestling

11 November - Sherman

Hey, Red What Do You Have?

Sherman is Growing Up, He is about Red's Size

Bat Dog and Saluting a Hero

2011-11-01T20:36:00.000-04:00

We got a picture from Ohio. Our friend Gracie Lou got dressed up as Bat Dog this Collieween. We say the picture and had a major howl. She sure looks pawsome in the picture. Hopefully, we can convince Dog Dad to travel north sometime next year.

Bat Dog - AKA Gracie Lou

In the news today we read the story of a heroic boxer named Duncan. Duncan was a 3 1/2 year old Boxer that woke up his Dog Dad to a smokey room. Duncan lived in Georgia near Atlanta and perished in the fire early Tuesday morning. If you want to read the story you can click on the following link: Hero_Dog_Duncan. We know the pain Duncan's Dog Dad feels, so he is in our thoughts and prayers.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

Collieween 2011

2011-10-31T21:53:00.002-04:00

Dog Dad had a pawsome Collieween 2011. Lady I, her Dog Mom and a friend helped hand out Collieween Candy. Dad went through fifteen bags of candy. As the children just came non-stop this year. Lady I was out meeting the kids, Sherman got to visit outside for awhile but was a bit to barky. Sherman then joined Essex in the back room. Essex just goes bonkers with so many strangers visiting.

The last couple weeks have been busy. We got to go to the Angel Paws for several hours on Essex's barkday. We had lots of fun.

Essex at Angel's Paw

Sherman chilling at Angels Paw

That weekend it started raining. On Monday the 17 October, it rained so hard the water was up to Dad's ankles on the side walk. We refused to go past the neighbors house. Dad drove through some flooded streets. It rained the next day and really hard on the 19 October. We had a short walk that morning as cloud to ground lightning kept us home. Then the rains came forty minutes before Dad left for work. The streets flooded again and one of the guys Dad works with car blew an engine rod.

17 October - A Wet Sherman

Essex is Wet Too

19 October - Heavy Thunderstorms - Weather Channel

We went to the vet on the 24th and Sherman weighed in at 37 pounds.

On 27 October, Lady I, her Mom and a friend came down to visit us. We had a lot of friend and enjoyed the extra company. They did some fantasy fest stuff. Dad said no, saying that he is too old to put up with drunk obnoxious people. We spent time at the dog park. They took poor Sherman to Duval Street, but he was so scared by the noise and the crowds that they had to carry him part of the way.

Lady I

Sherman and Lady's Dog Mom

Sherman is a Shy Butterfly

The Collies Display their Fantasy Fest Beads

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

Essex is Eight

2011-10-13T05:30:00.002-04:00

Today I woke up to Dog Dad singing me “Happy Barkday.” Then we went on our morning walk and he talked to me about the past. I got some extra treats and big hug when we got home. He told me how proud he was of me and that he valued my teaching Sherman the “Way of the Collie.”

Sleeping Up to Happy Barkday

The Barkday Girl

While he was getting ready for work he told me how much a positive impact I am on his life. I smiled and gave him the look that told him that I had chosen him to be my Dog Dad. Then I rubbed up against him.
My great nephew Sherman gave me some good barks to tell me that he loved me too. We are getting along very well, and I enjoy having the young pup around. Dad is planning to make some Cheddar Collies for us when he gets back from work. Then I want to go to Angel Paws early, so I can enjoy be the “Secretary of Da Fence.” Pictures to follow on Saturday.

Dog Speed,

Essex

Cousin Toby Crosses The Bridge

2011-10-07T20:51:00.001-04:00

We found out from our breeder mom, Lil, that our cousin, (Holmhaven Pure Copper, UD, RE) Toby, crossed the Rainbow Bridge, Tuesday, 4 October. Toby was born 6 January 2003; his sire was Duffy vom Grutlohner Hof, Imp and his dam was Holmhaven Crystal Treasure. Both Toby and Essex had Jason for a Grand Paw and both would have called Jason’s brudder Great Uncle Bobby.

Cousin Toby, January 2003- October 2011

The collies are sad. The Key West Collies knew Toby from when we were pups. Toby was ten months older than Essex and was almost a year old when Essex left to come live in Key West. Sherman is even more closely related as Toby paw-rents are Sherman's Great Grand Paw-rents. Our Dog Angel, Deacon would have called Toby’s Mutter, Grand Mutter.

Toby was a Velcro collie and loved to be as close to Lil as possible. He loved going to shows with Lil. When he finished his Utility Degree, Toby still wanted to go to classes and make Lil proud. So Lil and Toby learned to do all the Rally exercises together. Toby was happy to just be with Lil and loved to give her kisses. Toby had been battling a lung when Dog Dad and I went bring Sherman to our home. He fought the lung infection for three months and at the end would only eat only braunschweiger. We know that Lil is missing him terribly. She referred to Toby as her soul mate: and since she has been so lucky to know so many collies, that means Toby was extra special.

To Lil and the Holmhaven Collies: Thank you for sharing your pack with so many people. Know that you have made the world a better place. We know your pain and appreciated your kind words after Deacon’s sudden crossing. We are sure that Toby is playing with Deacon, Cousin Howie, Great Uncle Bobby, Grand Paw Jason and many other Holmhaven Collies in the forest and fields that are past the Rainbow Bridge.

Dog Speed

Essex, Sherman and Dog Dad too.

Sherman Loves Angel Paws

2011-10-02T20:48:00.000-04:00

There is no doubt about it, Sherman loves Angel Paws Dog Park. The most dogs at the park this was six, and we are part of that six. Essex does fence patrol, while Sherman plays. He definitely has been sleeping soundly at night. Our first day was cut short, the other days we have been there for about 45 to 80 minutes.

27 SEP - Getting a Drink at the Park

Sherman is not intimidated by the bigger dogs. There is no tail tuck but he does roll over and to submit. This is the result of excellent doggy manners training by Essex. There has been a number of nights that Sherman's fur is a mess, but we love our Sherman.

28 SEP - Angel Paws Was Fun Today

Dad, Let Me Drive, I Have my License

When we go for our walks, Sherman is waiting and excited to go. He loves both people and dogs. As you can see our pack is healing and Sherman is a big reason for the big smiles in our hearts.

30 SEP - Aroooo, It is Walk Time

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

A Special Day

2011-09-25T22:31:00.002-04:00

Today was a big day for Sherman. It was his first day at Angel Paws Dog Park. He did outstanding at the park, under the watchful eyes of both myself and Dog Dad. We only stayed twenty minutes because a thunderstorm was approaching and the sky was darkening.

Sherman's first steps at Angel Paws

Brooke and Sidney were already there when our car pulled up to Angel Paws. I was ready to arrive at the park and Sherman was very confident. The girls came over and greeted and sniffed Sherman and then he happily bounced around them wanting to play. Three minutes later Kiana and Tonks arrived. Sherman quickly became friends with Kiana. Tonks rolled Sherman some, but not near as much as she usually does. Was it the approaching thunderstorm, the smell of me (Essex) on my Great Nephew, Sherman's confidence, me watching over him, and possibly the spirit of his Uncle and my Nephew Deacon looking out for him too. It was probably a combination of all of these. Sherman was not scared, he was happy, he visited both canine and hoooman, and I watched to make sure he was okay. Normally, I am on fence patrol, but I was close to the table today. Sherman is still small, weighing only 27 lbs at the Vet's Saturday.

Tonks, Kiana, Brooke and Sherman

Sherman Gets Along with Brooke and Sidney

Hopefully, tomorrow we can stay longer and the weather will be nice. The really grrrreat news is that Sherman was a success at Angel Paws.

Dog Speed,

Essex

Pawsome Week

2011-09-24T22:54:00.003-04:00

It has been an interesting week at our house. Early in the week Sherman had his first experience with a peanut butter jar. He made sure that he ate everything in the jar, and that he had a firm paw on the situation.

Sherman Enjoying Peanut Butter

The Proper PB-Jar Holding Technique

Then on Tuesday nights walk, Essex saw an evil trailer go by. She pulled so hard that she busted her collar. Dad was happy that she stopped right away and didn't chase after the evil trailer. Of course Dad grabbed her by the back of the neck to finish our walk back home, which was slow.

Essex Broke Her Collar

Then today we went to Lower Key's Animal Clinic and I got my last set of shots. Dr James Waddell took good care of checking out Sherman. He talked with Dad for awhile. The two of us just sat and listened. When we got home, we played for awhile.

Dr Waddell Checks Out Sherman

How Did Essex end up with two tails?

Essex and Sherman Having Fun

Dad told Sherman that tomorrow, Sunday, will be a special day. Do you have any idea what might be special?

Dog Speed,

Essex & Sherman

Up On the Couch

2011-09-18T18:22:00.000-04:00

Essex & Sherman,

Greetings from Maine, the Pine Tree State. You two sure look like you enjoy having each other around. Sherman, you look like a butterball. BOL. I've heard you are barky and frisky just like me. I hope that I can convince Dog Mom and Dad to come down to visit Key West this winter. That way we can get together and play some.

In the Shower

Sleeping, Legs Crossed, Tail Over the Legs

Sherman, I agree that gallon plastic bottles are pawsome and so is barking. Is your Dad trying to reduce the amount of barking you do, like my pawrents are?

Your Pal,

Sir Oliver

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Arrroo, glad to hear from you Oliver,

Yep, Dog Dad is trying to reduce my barking too. I especially like to do it when Dad is on the phone. Concur that gallon jugs are one of the most pawsome dog toys ever invented.

I had an adventure Monday morning. Dad got out of the shower to the noise of me barking up a storm. He figured that I was trying to get Essex to play. He saw Essex in the hall but no Sherman. When he turned the corner he saw me sitting on the couch, barking. You see, I couldn't figure out how to get down from the couch. For the rest of the day I had to listen to "Help , I've up on the couch and I can't get down."

Up on the Couch

How Do I Get Down?

Drop us a line when you are coming down to Key West. Maybe you can visit me at our home. It has a nice fenced yard and I would enjoy playing with another collie pup.

Looking Cute

Dog Speed,

Sherman

Paw-S: Essex & Dog Dad say Hi too.

Collie Play

2011-09-10T21:33:00.001-04:00

We are both getting along fine. As you can tell from the pictures of the both of us playing. There are times Dog Dad laughs when we play. We are both happy to make Dog Dad smile. We will bite legs, bark, and carry on. It is definitely a good time.

Collie Just Want to Have Fun

Sherman Going Low

Sherman Decides to Regroup

Like Angel Dog Deacon, Sherman likes to play with empty milk jugs. He may have his toys nearby, but the milk jug is a top play item. Neither Essex or Deacon played much with their toys, Sherman likes playing with them though.

Toys in the Corner, Milk Jug in Mouth

I Like this Toy

Sherman is a vocal pup. He will bark for attention. Sherman was the center of attention when we met some children today on our walk. He revels in the attention that I shy away from.

Woof

Dog Speed,

Essex

Having a Ball in Key West

2011-09-06T21:51:00.003-04:00

Sherman is having a ball in Key West. Dog Dad has caught him and me playing several times. He chuckles as Sherman goes between my legs and when he bounces up and down by me. Sometimes Sherman jumps up to nip at my ear. Dad laughed really hard one time where Sherman went between my legs and came out between my back legs and my tail was on top of his head. There are times I initiate play and bite Sherman's paws. Yes, we are get along well and enjoy being with each other.

Having a Ball - 29 August

Sleeping - 3 September

Sherman is definitely growing. You can see it especially in his legs.

Potty training is progressing well. Sherman can hold it quite awhile, but doesn't give a signal when it is time. Sigh. When he goes outside, it takes him normally about thirty-seconds before he waters the lawn. He has started going out for morning and evening walks with me and Dog Dad. It slows us down but gives him some much needed pack time and excersise. His tail wags now when we go out for a walk. Sherman still isn't use to all the outdoor noises though. He is being introduced to lots of people and enjoys being around hoomans. Today at the Pet Store, he sat down and barked at a couple. He was telling them, "Haroo, please give me some attention."

Chewing Pig Ears - 6 August

He still needs to learn a lot of the basics, but Dog Dad handles things one at a time. Sherman is still in puppy jail when Dad goes to bed and when he is at work. Dog Dad tries to minimize doing that and is coming home for lunch.

Dog Speed,

Essex

Busy Weekend

2011-08-29T21:30:00.003-04:00

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

2011-08-23T21:01:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-21T22:13:00.000-04:00

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?

2011-08-18T21:53:00.002-04:00

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?

2011-08-15T10:11:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-10T18:43:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-07T13:24:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-05T20:50:00.030-04:00

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

2011-08-02T22:01:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-01T21:49:00.001-04:00

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

A Kansas E-Bark

2011-07-28T18:08:00.000-04:00

Dog Dad and I got an e-bark with paw-tographs from Great Uncle Bobby's Mom in Kansas. She told us that she really enjoyed visiting and spending time with us. We barked out loud when she told us that Kansas was hotter than Key West. It was 111 Fahrenheit in Kansas yesterday, while we were only around 91 Fahrenheit. She and her husband had a splendid time visiting Lil and the Holmhaven Collies. They especially enjoyed getting to meet Sherman and his litter mates. She gave Sherman hugs and kisses and he enjoyed it. They told him that he was going to a pawsome home with a good Dog Dad and pawsome Great Auntie. I liked her even better when she e-barked Dog Dad to "Give Essex a piece of cheese for me!" Not isn't that pawsome.

Sherman looks swell and we see his sister's nose

Sherman sure is cute

We are looking forward to picking up Sherman in a couple weeks. The house will once again have two Collies and I will have to teach Sherman the way of the Collie. That will fill a great void and bring joy to our pack. We hope to see Great Uncle Bobby's Pawrents sometime soon again.

Dog Speed

Essex

Vistor From Kansas

2011-07-24T16:21:00.002-04:00

Dog Dad and I had a visitor from Kansas on Friday. It was Great Uncle Bobby's Dog Mom. You may remember that Great Uncle Bobby used to send us letters before he crossed the bridge in 2008. The visit lasted for three whole hours. We talked about Collies and I got a good ear rubbing. Dad said I warmed up quicker than usual. We met her at the Days Inn, then she came over to our house to talk with us. Dog Dad took her to his favorite Cuban Restaurant, then it was off to my favorite place, Angel Paws Dog Park. I took off time from fence patrol to pose for this picture with her.

Great Uncle Bobby's Mom & Essex

February 2008 Great Uncle Bobby & Dog Mom

They talked about her four Collies Sam, Honey, Mac and of course Bobby. They talked about me, Deacon and Sherman. I got a ton of attention, which I tolerated. We wish Great Uncle Bobby's Dog Dad had come to, but he was bitten by the diving bug and was busy under the Sea. Since you can't dive very often in Kansas, I was okay with it. They are going up to Holmhaven and will meet Sherman, Duke and Dakota. We told her to give Sherman a big hug from us. Duke is the other sable male and he will be going to live in North Carolina. Dakota is a tri-color bother that is going to live with Shiloh and create puppy mayhem in Central Florida. We hope Bobby's Pawrents get to visit us again soon. It is nice to have company that loves Collies.

Dog Speed,

Essex

Introducing .......

2011-07-19T17:28:00.003-04:00

I've been talking to Sherman and we decided today is the day. Below is what Sherman asked me to bark to all of you.
--Essex

Sherman Taking It Easy

Hello everydog, I decided to end the suspense today. My name is Sherman and I've decided to come live with Essex and Dog Dad. I am not and never will be Deacon, I will try to fill those large paw prints. I will be my own dog and I will bring a smile to Dog Dad's face in my own way. This is very easy to do when you are a puppy.

I am sure there will be plenty of adventures and stories to tell. Great Auntie Essex will teach me the way of the Collie. My brudder will be going to live in North Carolina at a really great home. We both feel very lucky and happy.

My Brudder is Going to North Carolina

I have heard much about Angel Paws Dog Park and visits to Ohio. I think that I'll fit right in. I will be coming to Key West on 6 August. Dog Dad has told me that he will be taking vacation to be with me the first couple weeks. That is typical of my Dog Dad, taking paw-ternity leave to spend time to help ease me into my new home.

I look forward to meeting all of you in cyber-paw-space, others at the dog park, and more still on my adventures.

Dog Speed,

Sherman

Should Have Been Five

2011-07-12T19:02:00.007-04:00

Dog Dad is taking control of today’s post.

Today would have been Deacon’s fifth barkday, a happy day. Instead I am missing my “silly boy.” I can not say often enough, how much Essex and I appreciate things that people and cyber-paw pals have said and done. We received over 80 blog visitors sympathizing with us and ten cards. Dog Dad talked on the phone with Gomer’s Mom from cyber paw space, with Lil from Holmhaven, family, friends and dog park pals. All of have immensely helped ease our sadness.

Ashes, some fur, his collar and tags

Thanks for the cards

However, not enough time has passed for this wound to heal. There is still sorrow from passage of my Great Collie Ambassador. Since Deacon crossed, there have been about a dozen bridge crossings by paw-pals we met during life’s journey or in cyber-paw space. I was asked, why get another dog if it pains me to loose a one. I utter the refrain of dog lovers through the ages: “The only thing worse than losing a dog is to not have one in my life.” I feel Will Rogers was right when he said “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went..”

Forgive me, but at this moment I miss my Deacon, even though Essex is comforting me and I am looking forward to the arrival of Sherman. It doesn't seem right that all I have is some fur, a collar and his ashes. I wish you were here Deacon, wish you were here.

Dog Dad

Forgot to add these two pawtographs to this post. My sisters and brother got the stone and memorial picture frame for me.

Picture Frame with Rainbow Bridge Poem

Memorial Stone for my Silly Boy

Pups and Plumbers

2011-07-11T17:57:00.001-04:00

The really good news today is we got puppy pictures last night. Both of the pups look pawsome. Dad found out the other sable boy is going to North Carolina. Hope you enjoy the paw-to-graphs.

It has been a busy day today. Ernie the plumber and his Dad came over and were working on our plumbing. There is a leak in the hot water line. I like both of them, so I wagged my tail and was on my good behavior. They were busy putting in water pipes and cutting the wall. You can see the results of their work below.

Sir Oliver

2011-07-08T21:11:00.001-04:00

Hello, I'm Sir Oliver

We got a note from Sir Oliver, who lives up in Maine. He wished me well, sympathised about Deacon, and is eager to have Sherman come live with us. Sir Oliver is a Sable-Merle Collie, born on 6 April 2011 in Rumney, New Hampshire. Sir Oliver is helping fill the huge hole left behind by Benjamin's Bridge Crossing. You may remember us talking about the Great White Collie having crossed back in March. Benjamin's Pawrents were still having a ruff time living without a Collie, so the Great Dane told Oliver to paw up and adopt them.

Oliver having fun at home

His pawrents are having a great time with him. They are taking teaching him how to go for walks, housebreaking and just loving him. He is a smart little guy and keeps his hoomans on their toes. We are so glad that he adopted his hoomans. We are looking forward to his family coming down to the Keys next winter and visiting Sherman and me. Below are some more pictures of young Oliver

Today was the last launch of the space shuttle. The shuttle Atlantis is now up in outer space. Dog Dad remembers watching the launch of the Shuttle Columbia in Toledo, Ohio back on 12 April 1981. He recall the two tragedies that occurred as well. The Shuttle did a lot of good things, so we are sad to see it go. We salute the astronauts, they are brave hoomans that we often forget unless things go wrong.

Dog Speed,

Essex

Letter From Shiloh

2011-07-07T17:51:00.006-04:00

Dear Essex,

I loved reading your post about me. My Hooman pawrents stumbled upon your blog a few months ago. As for me, I was hoping to meet both of you and was very saddened by the passing of Deacon. He sounded like such a fun uncle. I am so very happy to hear that another Holmhaven collie is going to help you take care of your Dog Dad.

It is even better in that I am going to have a brudder from the same litter. My brudder, Dakota, is one of the tri-color pups, though I’m not telling my family which one. Hopefully our packs can exchange pictures, stories and even meet in the future.

Me and my boy

I have a pawsome family and I have what every dog dreams about, a little boy to be my friend. Children make great chums. You can see how much I love him in the one paw-to-graph. My Dog Mom has been around dogs much of her childhood, so I didn’t have to train her as much as you did your Dog Dad.

At Holmhaven, I have the white spot

Sniffs and Licks,

Shiloh

= = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Dear Shiloh,

We love getting e-barked and we consider your family part of our extended pack. We look forward to hearing from you and watching you and Dakota grow up.

I have been taking care of Dog Dad and we are looking forward to the new puppy. Dog Dad and I were talking about names. Our short list of names included Chaplain, Colden, Eugene, Gryphon, Jeep, Pep and Sherman. Both of us liked Sherman the best. Sherman is a good boy dog name. It has strong ties to Grand-Paw because he was in the Fifth Armored Division in WW II and the main American tank was the Sherman tank. Sherman will never replace Deacon, but he will fill the sudden void that occurred when Deacon’s crossed the bridge.

One of us is Sherman and only Essex knows

We look forward to meeting your pack one day. Talking about pack meetings, it looks like we will meet Great Uncle Bobby’s hooman pawrents. We met Great Uncle Bobby in 2007 and he used to write us letters before he crossed the bridge in 2008. Bobby was a Holmhaven Collie. Dog Dad has a lot in common with his pawrents.

Dog Speed,

Essex

Raffie Crosses Bridge

2011-07-06T16:27:00.011-04:00

Raffie

Our cyber-paw pal, Raffie crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 11:45 PM on 5 July in Lost Wages, Nevada. He lived with Dog Dad's sister and her husband. He was an infrequent visitor to our blog, though we got quite a few e-barks from his Dog Mom over the years. Raffie was the seventh dog/person to sign our guess book and is mentioned a couple times in our blog. He loved his hoomans and they loved him. They are missing him. Dog Dad and I am sure Deacon greeted Raffie as he crossed the bridge.

Dog Speed,

Essex

Cousin Shiloh

2011-06-30T18:39:00.005-04:00

I just met a new relative, cousin Shiloh. Shiloh is only three months old and one of our puppy's litter mates will be coming to live with him in Orlando. I hope that Shiloh drops by to visit the Collie blog or ebarks us from time to time. If we are lucky we might even meet him in paw-son, as he is only a six hour drive away.

Cousin Shiloh

Shiloh makes it eleven relatives that have visited us, since the Key West Collies Blog started in June 2007. The power of cyber-paw space is truly pawsome

Dog Speed,

Essex

Pups at Three Weeks

2011-06-27T17:33:00.004-04:00

We received puppy pictures last night. They are now three weeks old, eating puppy chow and walking around on their own. Dog Dad and I are amazed how quickly they are growing. We can make out the collie nose too. We are making a list of potential names, but nothing is final yet. The pups are too young to show signs of their pawsonalities yet.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Dog Dad

Three Weeks

Puppy and Yurtle

2011-06-22T23:05:00.004-04:00

We received two more puppy pictures last night. The puppies would be around 16 days old. The sure look like they are all in fine shape. We are still thinking about names and haven't decided on one yet. Dog Dad is looking forward to getting the new puppy and having another collie to keep me company.

Collie Puppies - 16 days

We were emailed a story about a dog named Yurtle and a homeless man in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Click here to read the story of Yurtle and Kevin. It is a very touching story and resulted in Dog Dad getting misty eyed. It shows that bonds that exist between hooman and canines. Dog Dad said he has seen such strong bonds with cats too.

Dog Speed Cyber-Paw Pals,

Essex

Whiter Teeth

2011-06-21T21:39:00.006-04:00

Well, cyber-paw pals today I got my teeth cleaned. You can tell my teeth were stained, but after the visit to the dentist they are now pearly white. Now when I bark, people remark how white my teeth are. BOL

Essex

Happy Pawthers Day

2011-06-19T20:57:00.004-04:00

We hope everyone had a great Pawther's Day. I spent most of it with Dog Dad. For the first time in a week, Dog Dad and I went for a walk. I forgive him because he hurt his knee and was on crutches during the week. I told him he has to watch out for himself better when he is working on the step ladder.

I am sure you did plenty of exciting stuff during Pawther's Day. Me and Dog Dad just kind of took it easy and slept the day away.

Essex

Essex sleeping

One Week Old

2011-06-13T21:35:00.006-04:00

The puppies turned one week old on 12 June and have doubled in size. It is hard to believe that I was once so small. The puppies sure look pawsome though. The puppies Pawther is Midnight (Holmhaven Midnight Flash, CD), Deacon's older half-brother and my nephew. The puppies Mutter is Penny (Holmhaven Copper Penny). We think Midnight and Penny are a swell looking pawrents.

Essex

12 June - One Week Old

Midnight (30 JUN 2005)

Penny

300th Post - Puppies

2011-06-10T06:44:00.000-04:00

This is our 300th post, today is our four year blog adversary and we have a picture of the puppies. Dog Dad wanted to make this a special post. The Collie puppies were born on 5 June and we received the below picture on June 7. There are two male sable collies in the litter of puppies and the arrows are pointing to them. We are excited.

Two Male Sable Collies, arows point to them

Looking back over four years of blogging much has changed. During those early days we became a DWB member #506 on 17 June. Since we started much has changed in our blog world. We used to read about the adventures of Tosca, Flossy and Gomer & Opy, all who rarely ever blog. Other pups joined DWB and our world grew.

We were trying to access the DWB Page and Chat Room. We are getting an error. We are wonder if any of you are getting an error as well.

Dog Speed,

Essex

Rumors of Visitors and Waiting for Tomorrow

2011-06-09T20:08:00.003-04:00

All is going well for us. We found out our niece will stop by in early July to say hello. Unfortunately, Daisy Mae, the Golden Retriever will not be coming along. Dog Dad and I hope that we get to see her at least one day. Another of Dog Dad's friends is due to stop by in early August, so he is excited about that.

Other than that all is going okay in Key West.

Dog Dad said he will be posting some good news tomorrow. I asked him why not post some today. He told me tomorrow, because it was a special day, the post would be a special number and therefore he wanted a special story. Hoomans.

Essex

Cassie's New Friend

2011-06-06T17:18:00.010-04:00

We've wanted to introduce Gracie Lou to you for several weeks. First we had no paw-tographs of Gracie Lou. Then we received the pictures the day after Deacon crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Cassie is our collie pal that lives up in Ohio that we visit. In case you don't remember Cassie and Hattie lived in Northern Ohio and Hattie crossed the Rainbow Bridge in early February.

Poor Cassie was just moping around because when she arrived at her furever home Hattie was there to show her the way of the Collie. As you can tell Cassie is really happy to have Gracie Lou around. There is nothing like another paw-pal around.

I sent a message to the Great Dane on the wings of a bird and Dog Dad phoned Lil at Holmhaven. We requested another Collie boy to come live with us. The Holmhaven puppies are due in early June. Dog Dad told Lil his requirement is that the puppy be a out going sable boy. The puppy will never be Deacon, but he will help fill the void left behind.

Gracie Lou & Cassie

Care Package

2011-06-03T17:17:00.010-04:00

It is not often I get a package, so I was excited. It was addressed to me and Dog Dad though. I better sniff it and make sure it isn't anything bad. Hmmm, it smells like Boston Terrier, who could it be. So we open the package and what do I see a bone and a card. The bone is from our pal, Mack out in Texas. The card is filled with kind words and prayers from Mack and his Dog Mom. Thank you so, it really made us feel better. We miss Deacon, but all of our pals and cyber-pals are helping us to move forward. Thanks you Mac, Dog Mom and every paw else.

Essex

It smell like Boston Terrier

It is from Mack and his Dog Mom

A lovely card too.

Thank You Cyber Paw Pals

2011-06-01T18:34:00.005-04:00

Dear Cyber-Paw Pals,

Thank you so very much for your prayers, kind words, thoughts and healing vibes. Every bark, meow, woof and purr has meant so very much to us. It has helped us from feeling blue to being able to stand on our own four paws.

Healing has come in many forms. It came in writing about our beloved Deacon, receiving so many comments on our blog, talking in the chat room on Sunday, the phone calls and visits from Dad's family and friends, our real life collie pals, next door neighbors, paw pals from Angel Paws Dog Park both here and currently away. You have our eternal gratitude.

May every paw that has consoled a grieving paw receive a double, no triple dose of the collies blessing be they cat or be they dog. I say on to you "May your tail wag, your belly be full, and may you have a forever family to rub your tummy and scratch behind your ears."

Essex

Origin of Deacon's Name

2011-05-29T15:29:00.008-04:00

Dawn has asked us several times about the origin of Deacon's name. We have touched on it before, but we will honor the request as it is very fitting to be told Memorial Day Weekend. The choice of the name starts back in the 1940s, a time of great up turmoil and struggle. It goes back to what some call the greatest generation.

During this time Grand-Paw served in the Army during WW II. By the time the invasion of Normandy Grand-Paw was assigned as the chaplain's assistant. He was with the 5th Armored Division and was in Combat Command "R" or CCR. CCR fought in the Hurtgen Forest, which the smaller book called "... a violent screaming hell." From what Dog Dad has read about Hurtgen it was a nightmare. Bodies of soldier are still found in the forest. Grand Paw survived the war, met Grand Maw and had five children.

The Chaplain and Grand Paw

Grand Paw

Grand Paw decided about fifteen years ago to give Dog Dad his books and some other WW II things. He told Dog Dad - "You are the one that who was the most interested in these things. I want you to have them." Dog Dad couldn't refuse. He had read the books in grade school and spent time with Grand Paw looking at old pawtographs growing up as a child. There is no way he could ever refuse such an offer. While they didn't always agree, Dog Dad had tremendous respect and love for Grand Paw. When he was young Dog Dad wished he could have been the star athlete and made Grand Paw proud. Grand Paw didn't tell him until much later that he was proud of the man he had become, and being a star athlete didn't matter. Dog Dad's was surprised.

Grand Paws Books

Dog Dad came up with a lot of name the week before he traveled to Holmhaven Collies to pick up my nephew. Names from Norse and Greek mythology, names of famous battles, but there was none that he really liked. A couple nights before we headed north, he was sitting down and looking through the books Grand Paw had given him. It was then he saw again the words inside of the front cover of the book Grand Paw book The words penned in place back in 1945 screamed at him, the words that said this belonged to Grand Paw, "Deacon" Joe --------.

Deacon was a great name for a Collie, a choice from long ago. He told Grand Maw and Grand Paw about the name. When the three of us came up to visit, Grand Maw told Dog Dad that he had made Grand Paw very happy and proud. Deacon was like Grand Paw, both was a happy go-lucky souls, a bit mischievous at times and both had that special twinkle in their eyes.

Now Dog Dad and I both miss my nephew. We miss his playfulness and happy go lucky ways. We are sure he is with a much younger Grand Paw and Grand Maw. Telling them about their son. He is licking their faces and running with the other creatures that have crossed the bridge. I am alone watching what is going on outside the front window. Deacon no longer stands stretched out with his front paws on top of his dog crate and his bottom paws on the ground. In spirit he is looking out the window with me. Dog Speed Dear Nephew.

Deacon - Dad's Silly Boy

Essex 29 May 2011 - Standing Guard Alone

Deacon - 12 July 2006 - 27 May 2011

2011-05-28T09:03:00.008-04:00

Puppy Picture

December 2006

12 July 2007 - Deacon's First Barkday

At Angel Paws Dog Park wanting a treat

Resting on the Couch Last picture taken at Angel Paws

It is a start of a long day, my first step will be to write a this tribute to my beloved boy, Deacon. Good thing this isn't paper because I tear up some when I think about him being gone. I want to say I appreciate all the prayers and well wishers, it will help me a lot.

What was my nephew Deacon's story. Well, Deacon was born 12 July 2006. His first owner was a nice lady named Carol, who named him Laddie. Carol lived with her elderly mother and Deacon left because he loved to jump on people, which is not a good thing when you live with an elderly person living with you. She brought him back to Holmhaven crying all the way. She hoped he would find a good furever home. Dog dad found out about him and called Lil at Holmhaven, but a couple that had just lost their dog was coming to see Deacon. Lil called Dad back to tell him they had taken Deacon, but she called again the very next day, because the couple decided it was to soon to get another dog. On 10 December 2006 Deacon came to live with us in Key West.

Deacon was a loving dog, that enjoyed being around other dogs, humans and cats. Everybody was his friend and he always excitedly pulled to meet the new person and paws. He introduced Dad to many people.

Essex

= = = = = = =

Dog Dad here: I will think of Deacon laying asleep by the side of the bed when I went asleep. I missed him coming in and giving me his quizzical look in the morning when I awoke. It seemed to say "Dad are we going for our walk now." I missed him pulling on the leash to smell something or to meet some paw/person. He was an Collie Ambassador to those he met on our walks or at the park.

On the way to the dog park later today I will miss Deacon nibbling and licking my ear on the way. I will miss him playing and flopping over at Angel Paws. I will think of him jumping up for treats as Miss Lauretta gave them away from outside the fence, or of him sneaking a treat out of someones pocket. I can see him ambling over to meet a new dog or person to say hi. Deacon was a fun loving care free spirit, I can't think of a person he didn't want to meet and lick. He was a trickster and mischievous spirit at times. He was quick to lick your face though.

He was called Deacon, Deak, the Deakster, the Goober-dog, and Silly Boy. He was a young dog full of life, that left in his prime. He left me too soon, he passed away quickly, with a crash, a yipe and a few soft barely audible whimpers. There was no blood, nothing fell on top of him, I guess he just fell at a bad angle. I loved my Deacon and this is going to be one very long day. Lord, one heck of Collie crossed the Rainbow Bridge yesterday, take care of him. I wish he hadn't been called across the bridge so soon, I wanted to spend more time with him. There is paw print inside my heart, but I think that happens to all of us that love our dogs. I miss my chum.

Dog Dad

Deacon Crosses the Bridge

2011-05-27T22:05:00.006-04:00

Deacon crossed the rainbow bridge today at around 6:20 PM.

Dad was on the phone with Uncle Steve. Deacon had his front paws on his dog crate and was looking out the window barking at a dog outside. Dad is guessing about all this but Deacon did that a lot. Next thing we hears a crash and a yelp. He rushes around the corner and sees Deacon laying on the ground, a pool of urine and hears a several low whimpers. He tells Uncle Steve, Deacon is hurt and hangs up the phone. He caresses his head tells him to stay strong. He calls the vet and they give him the number for the 24 hour vet up the Key.

Deacon has already crossed

By the time Dad and Frank get Deacon in the car, Dad thinks he has already crossed the bridge. Frank does too, but doesn't want to bring it up. Dad is hoping Deacon is in shock and the vet can help him. I ride up with a worried Dog Dad and try to console him. When we get to the 24 hour vet, she confirms mine and Dog Dad's fears.

Heaven has gained one heck of a dog. We can imagine Deacon up there licking Grand Paw and Grand Maw in the face.

Dog Speed Nephew,

Essex

News From Ohio

2011-05-15T21:30:00.008-04:00

We have two news worthy items from north central Ohio, where Dog Dad grew up. First the house Dog Dad grew up and we spent time visiting Grand Maw and Grand Paw was damaged. From what we heard there was lots of wind and rain. A huge section of the old maple tree by the house finally gave way and crashed on top of the back porch. Portion of the tree that broke crushed the porch and poked a couple holes in the side of the house. Dog Dad sisters were happy they had sold the house in January 2010. The whole story brought back memories from June 2008, when the tree crashed down and landed in our front yard.

The second is good news. Cassie's Dog Mom and Dog Dad in Ohio were adopted by a little female tri-color puppy named Gracie Lou. When we get pictures, we will post them. Dad wasn't planning on visiting Ohio, but he really wants to see that puppy. That makes three things Dog Dad wants to do this summer and he will probably only do one. The three things are:

1 - Go to "The Gathering" in late August in New Jersey. This is were a lot of collies gather at the Terhune Memorial Park, the home of that famous author who raised outstanding collies and wrote amazing collie stories.

2 - Go to a reunion in North Dakota in early August. He might see a lot of former buddies he served with.

3 - Visit family, friends and meet Gracie Lou.

What do you think we should tell Dog Dad to do? Inquiring Collies want to know.

Essex & Deacon

Poofed

2011-05-10T20:23:00.003-04:00

We've been poofed and you can see the evidence. With all the shedding going on Dog Dad decided it was time to get out the shedding comb. He combed and combed and below is the results. As you can see Deacon looks relay Deacalicious now. All the girl dogs are taking notice. BOL.

Happy Mutter's Day 2011

2011-05-08T15:35:00.024-04:00

We hope that all the mutter's out there have a pawsom Mutter's Day. Mutters do a lot for us. Dog Dad today is thinking about his mutter, who crossed the rainbow bridge several years ago. He misses talking to her and all the guidance she gave him growing up.

Grand Maw and Dad's Sister Becky

Dog Dad's Mutter with her Family in 1933.
She is first on the left in the pink dress.

Valiant Ebony Flash
Essex's Mom

Holmhaven Golden Touch "Ozzette"
Deacon's Mom

We would say bring them a nice stick, but hoooman moms don't care much for sticks. So instead give your mom a nice face lick and a snuggle, they like things like that.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Indian Fever

2011-05-02T20:06:00.010-04:00

Woofs cyber-paw pals and Tribe fans. April has ended and the Collies' beloved Indians are 19-8 and have the best record in the majors. We can't believe it but we are enjoying keeping tabs on them. We only wish we were in Northern Ohio, so we could watch them on TV. It is still early in the season, so we will enjoy this as long as it continues.

The Collies have "Indian Fever"

At Angel Paws, we have met two new paw pals. First there is Bennet, a Labradoddle. He sure is a cute little guy and sure to grow up to be a handsome feller Next there is Lady, the Boxer.

Bennet the Labradoddle

Lady the Boxer

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Happy Easter 2011

2011-04-24T20:51:00.010-04:00

From our pack to yours, we hope you had a most pawsome Easter and hope the Easter Wabbit (or Easter Collie) blessed your house for Easter and the year to come.

The elusive Easter Collie

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Angel Paws 2011

2011-04-18T20:42:00.006-04:00

We have been busy lately and Dad has been mumbling about some guy named Ira S. Ira sure has kept Dad busy shuffling through papers. Well now to the good stuff, time to show you pictures of this years frequent visitors. After all, a new year brings new friends even as old friends leave.

Kiana

Tonks

First there is Kiana and Tonks the Husky sisters. They came down from Boston to live in the Keys West. Their pawrents keep them busy and their Mum is frequently brings in treats. So she is one of Deacon's favorite hoomans. They are a fun pair that romp with Deacon sometimes. Essex won't let them help with fence patrol though.

Duke (above) and Max (below)

Next is Duke and Max. Duke is young German Shepherd that is playful and gets in trouble from time to time. Max is his older brudder and he loves to get his butt scratched.

Sidney and Brooke

Next are the sisters Brooke and Sidney, who were frequent visitors last year. Brooke is an Australian Cattledog-Catahoula mix, while Sidney is an Australian Shepherd. They play the most when their pawrents are trying to leave Angel Paws. Silly sisters.

Jethro

Our pal Jethro is still at Angel Paws, so we talk to him about our paw pals that have left Key West.

We hear the Supper Bowl being filled, so it is time to go.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Gagarin

2011-04-12T21:49:00.006-04:00

If you know our Dad, he is a PBS kind of guy. So today we got to go in the WABAC machine to travel back fifty years to find out about a cosmonaut named Yuri Gagarin. Gagarin left the bonds of mother earth at 0607 UTC on 12 April 1961. He was the first hoooman in space. His mission lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Yuri Gagarin, 4 MAR 1964 - Sweden

From Wikipedia

We kept poking our noses in Dad's ribs and barking "Three years and five months after Laika the Dog went into outer space." That just proves how much braver we dogs are than a hoomens. A lot has changed since those days many moons ago, but the Collies bark about a brave cosmonaut that ventured into a brave new world called outer space. Dog Speed Essex & Deacon

We Are Fine

2011-03-31T21:51:00.002-04:00

We are doing fine. Dog Dad is battling a chest cold and stuffy sinuses the last couple days. When we find our camera, there are some dog park pictures to post. While we say goodbye to old friends, we say hello to new ones. April promises to be busy. Essex will get a teeth cleaning. Dog Dad has plenty of yard stuff to do. Baseball season starts, we have to wonder how the Red Birds and Tribe will do. Dog speed, Essex & Deacon

A Bit Blue

2011-03-12T20:22:00.005-05:00

It has been a bit of a troubled week. Friday morning we found out about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Then today the news was talking about the nuclear reactors. We sure hope that everything works out well.

Yesterday, Dad found out that Benjamin, the white collie passed away last year. We blogged about him January 2010, when he came down to visit. Benjamin contracted lyme disease and crossed the bridge at his home in Maine. Benjamin was ten years old. His hooman Mom and Dad came over to talk to Dad yesterday at Angel Paws. Both us can smell collie people and even Essex let them pet her. The hoomans talked about collies for quite awhile. Benjamin's hooman pawrents intend to get another collie later this year.

Then today we find out that our Dog Blog pal Cookie crossed the bridge at almost thirteen years old. Cookie led a good life and had an excellent family. If you get a chance, stop by give her Mom some moral support. This helps ease the pain hoomans feel whenever a good dog chum crosses the rainbow bridge.

We'll try to get some pictures at Angel Paws tomorrow. We want to tell you about the current cast of characters at the Park.

Dog Speed

Essex & Deacon

Sasha is Leaving Key West

2011-03-08T20:58:00.006-05:00

Our friend Sasha, the Rat Terrorist, is leaving for North Florida. Tonight was the last night we will see her, unless she visits in June. We will miss her and her Dog Mom.

Sasha chewing on a bowl

Sasha and her Dog Mom

Essex remembers Sasha's first visit to Angel Paws. Sasha hid under the bench. A couple weeks later Sasha tried to get Essex to play, but had no luck. Deacon came to Key West several months later. Sasha found a friend who would play with her. A lot of people got a laugh at the way Deacon and Sasha played. Deacon would roll on his back, while Sasha jumped all over him. Sasha would return with collie hair in her month.

Deacon standing high to get dog treats

Things always seem to change at Angel Paws. One friend leaves and another arrives. We will probably see Sasha and her Dog Mom again in June.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Treats & Dog Parks

2011-03-06T12:36:00.005-05:00

Deacon got tagged right across the snout at Angel Paws Friday. That was due to one of Dad's favorite dog park issues, treats.

A lady came in with her white dog and a bag of treats. The dog was protective of her and the treats. Dad had to go over and get Deacon one time and bring him back on the leash. He gave him about a five minute time out, then let him off the leash. After wondering around for four minutes Deacon decided to wonder back towards the treats and this time he got tagged right on the snout. The lady left the park and went to the kids play ground. With no yelping Dad didn't look at him and someone else noted he was cut on the nose.

Dad went over and talked to the lady. He wasn't angry, but he wanted to stress how bad an idea it was to bring treats into a dog park with about ten dogs you don't know inside. He has seen injuries to both human and canine over treats.

When we got home, Dad got out the hydrogen peroxide and put it on the cut. He looked at Deacon and said "Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever." BOL. That is one of Dad's favorite movie quotes.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Missing Chat

2011-02-28T21:19:00.002-05:00

We were thinking back and remembering all the friends we use to meet on DWB Chat Room. Now it seems like it is just Skye and the Collies. We sure miss the days when there would be five or six dogs on chat. Sigh...

The collies usually get on chat around 9 AM, Sunday, East Coast Time. Sometimes we are 10 or 15 minutes late because Dad does a couple things every Sunday morning. If you ever get a chance join us one Sunday morning for chat.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

February Update

2011-02-27T20:38:00.003-05:00

Essex resting after her vet visit

Essex visited the vet Friday and is doing very well. Essex weighed 60 lbs (27 kg). Dad reported the usual torn paw pad for this time of year. So she will be getting paw care for the next couple weeks. Since Essex got her shots, she was a little grumpy and woozy, so no dog park Friday. She will also be coming back for teeth cleaning in March.

Kylie & Deacon

Kylie glances at Essex

The Collie next door, Kylie, has been sent back to live with her Grand-Mutter. She kept escaping from the yard. She was gone for three days on one occasion. We keep looking for her on the other side of the fence. We know Dad misses having her say hi too. However, it is more important that she is safe.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Hattie Crosses the Bridge

2011-02-09T20:10:00.004-05:00

Hattie

We found out a couple hours ago that our good friend Hattie had crossed the Rainbow Bridge today. You may recall that Hattie and Cassie were our Collie friends that lived in Northern Ohio. Hattie's health recently rapidly went downhill. We know she is in the Woods with her Collie chum Frisco. We are sure Bobby, Howie, Foxy and Pudgy came out to greet Hattie. Then all went out to run and play.

We first met Hattie and Cassie way back on 27 September 2007. Their Dog Mom came over to Grand-Maw and Grand-Paws house to come see us. All of us became best of chums. We loved visiting and they loved having us around. After awhile we all became part of the same pack. They felt like family to us. They helped us out when Grand-Maw and Grand-Paw crossed the bridge in 2008 and 2010.

Hattie's Mom & Dad are putting up a strong front, we know they are both softies and this is really hard on them. We wish we lived close so we could help them through all of this. Both of us could lick their faces and keep Cassie company. Dog Dad would do his part in helping them out. We have offered to write more about Hattie if they e-bark us.

Dog Speed Hattie,

Your bestest chums Essex, Deacon and Dog Dad too.

The Challenger

2011-01-28T19:30:00.004-05:00

Smoke plume from the Challenger from Wikipedia

28 April 1986 , 25 years ago today, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart. Dad was a young man living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The launch was a media event because a teacher named Christa McAuliffe was going into outer space. Dad watched the launch on TV at his home. He remembers watching the Challenger take off, rise in the air, go high in the sky and then it was no more. Dog Dad later found out Judith Resnik, the female astronaut, on the flight was a cousin to a good friend and fellow Geology major and teaching assistant, that he went to school with at the University of Toledo. Dad told us his friend was a good man and he felt for him. However, many miles separated them and there was little he could do for him.

The disaster was not expected because of the glowing safety record of NASA. A nation was in stunned, this wasn't supposed to happen. The investigation and news that came out did not paint glowing picture of NASA.

Three days later at a memorial service for the astronauts, President Reagan said, "Sometimes, when we reach for the stars, we fall short. But we must pick ourselves up again and press on despite the pain." We guess that sums up what Dog Dad's parents taught him. To pick himself up and press on.

So today we remember those who went before us. We honor those who dared greatly, some of whom never returned to those that loved them. Rest in peace the crew of Challenger, you are not forgotten.

Dog Speed and God Bless,

Essex, Deacon & Dog Dad too.

A Time of Reflection

2011-01-21T20:01:00.005-05:00

Deacon at Angel Paws

Three years ago today, Grand-maw crossed the bridge. Dog Dad is thinking about her and Grand-Paw right now. He remembers Grand-maw's wise words and how much she loved her family. He thinks of the twinkle in Grand-Paw's eyes and Grand-Paw fixing breakfast on Sunday morning. Dad always looked forward to that. As for us we are keeping Dad company

Dad misses talking to them both but he knows they are part of him. They will never really leave him.

One talks he had with Grand-Maw was about raising children. She told him the hardest things to do was to let a child learn from mistakes and allow the child to fail. How there was a need to push the child out of the comfort zone and out of the nest so they could fly. A good parent prevents injury but allow growth. A child learns failure is not the end and will keep trying. Like a flower needs sun and rain; a person needs to know joy and success as well as pain, failure and disappointment in order to grow to their full potential.

Dad has that same philosophy with us. He tries to protect us from grievous injury, but allows us to make little mistakes like learning that we really don't like extra hot chili powder. Confidence is the result of both success and failure. The knowledge to not call failure the end, that obstacles can be overcome and the need to realize you can not fix everything.

From time to time Dog Dad will say "Wisdom is born of pain." Thank you Grand-maw and Grand-paw for all the things you taught Dog Dad and most importantly for allowing him to grow.
Essex & Deacon

Silly Hooomans

2011-01-19T19:53:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago there was an incident at Angel Paws. No one was hurt, there was no growling or dog blood. There was shouting, excited hooomans and adult hooomans behaving like third graders. For the purpose of this post we will refer to the Dog Dad of Chase & Hunter as C&HD.

Us and Dog Dad were at Angel Paws with Hunter, Chase & their Dad. A lady comes into the dog park with her two small dogs. She is carrying the one dog in her arms. Cyber-Paw pals, what do most dogs do in this situation? Yep, they jump up and try to see the other dog. This freaks out the lady a little. C&HD suggests the lady puts the dog down. Well, the dog rolls over and Hunter and Chase try to sniff it. The timid little dogs tries to run away with Hunter and Chase deciding it is time to play chase and trying to sniff the little dog's butt. This freaks the lady out even more.

Voices are raised, Chase & Hunter are accused of being ill behaved aggressive dogs. This is the first we have ever heard of aggressive butt sniffing. The lady and C&HD are yelling at each other, C&HD is swears at the Lady, the Lady is hostile and egging C&HD on. Chase goes by the little dog and the Lady takes a swing at him. Words even got more heated C&HD was so mad that he was shaking.

When we got back home, Dog Dad said the whole situation reminded him of kids in third grade. Two adults that should of known better wouldn't let the situation calm down. The little dog was evidently not socialized because it was so afraid of the other dogs.

We can see Dog Dad shaking his head on the way back home, muttering "silly hooomans."

A Very Brave Collie

2011-01-02T11:04:00.008-05:00

Our Shirt-Tail Cousin Tosca

We received this e-bark from Tosca's Mom way back in August, just a couple days after it happened. We barked at her to post it, but that hasn't happened. We have decided to post the e-bark we received back then of a truly amazing story of a very brave collie girl from a very loving, proud and lucky Dog Mom.

Essex & Deacon
= = = = = = = = =

I hope all is well with you. I just lose track of time these days. Thank you for always thinking of me! Kiss T's cousins on the nose for me!

Alas, T and I are recovering from a trauma. Let me share with you an email I sent to her breeders today.

Dear Kay and Dan,

On Thursday, August 19, while I was getting ready to take Tosca inside after our walk, we were attacked by two pit bulls. At this point, I want to ease your minds and let you know that both I and Tosca are fine. Thanks to Tosca.

The first dog was loose and the second one was dragging a woman toward us. They both belonged to one of the two women who were "walking" them. The loose dog arrived in a flash before I even saw him coming. I tried to run up the steps with Tosca, but the dog jumped on her. I kicked the dog in the stomach,and tried to put myself between him and my dog. But Tosca wasn't going to back down. Meanwhile the second dog arrived with an out of control woman at the end of the leash. Now both dogs were after Tosca. They knocked me over and I took a dive on the pavement. I let go of Tosca's lead, because I realized there was no hope for her as a sitting duck for these two freaks. In the meantime, the witnesses piled up. The one woman was still holding the lead of one of the dogs but it was hopeless. He was just dragging her around. Tosca suddenly showed me what herding is all about. She dodged and weaved. She circled me while I was on the ground, refusing to let them near me. They were snapping at her rump and neck but she was too fast for them to lock their rotten jaws onto her. Once I got up, she took the fight to the grass. I kicked one of them in the head and it started to come for me and Tosca literally threw herself at him and distracted him. They kept trying to get her throat and she wouldn't let them. She was covered with their spit at her neck and rump and her fur was hanging from their mouths, but never once could they lock on her. The fight was going on for too long. I went down again. These beasts were truly freaks and the two women who "owned" them were useless. Tosca managed to draw blood on one of them, but she kept dancing and turning on a dime. Mostly she was focused on the loose dog because he had the most mobility. Three calls were made to 911 but the cops never seemed to arrive. I had resigned myself that my dog was going to die because I knew she couldn't keep this up and these dogs were far too strong for me. I decided to go inside and get my gun to kill them both when my neighbor, bless him, ran out of the house with a baseball bat and cracked it in half on one of the dogs' heads. The dog staggered but didn't fall, but he was just disoriented enough for a break. My neighbor grabbed the stricken loose dog's collar and then he grabbed the leash of the other dog from the woman and yelled GET TOSCA IN THE HOUSE! I ran up the steps with Tosca and got her inside in just the nick of time. Both dogs had broken loose and ran up the steps and were trying to go thru the glass to get to Tosca. It was at this point that I smashed a stone planter onto the back of one of the dogs and the other dog bit its owner.The planter slowed the dog down considerably, thank God. Now there were two pitties, one had a bat cracked over his head and another had a solid stone planter dropped on his back and they were both still standing. I told them to get their animals the **** off my porch and I not to move because I was pressing charges, and if they lunge at anyone I was going to slit one of their throats with the razor sharp garden slicer I had on my porch. I threw a hammer I had in my garden kit to my neighbor "just in case" he needed it.

Now for the amazing part. Tosca was magnificent, and I don't know if this has EVER happened before, but every single witness to this event would tell you that a Collie got the best of TWO pitbulls. And the best part: She had no injuries. Next morning, I woke up stiff, but Tosca just smiled and said Okay let's have breakfast.

Next, I brought her to the vet and the Vet did a full exam. We looked everywhere for even a laceration. None. He did some gyrations with her neck to make sure her spine wasn't injured. Overall, except for her furs being messed up, she was in the same condition she was in before the dogs attacked her. Or as one of my neighbors pointed out, "I guess all those Lassie stories are really true". A visitor to my next door neighbor's home got out of his car yesterday and said, Hey! Is that the Collie who took down the two pitties??". Tosca just smiled, as usual.

The vet said he was sure that heavy coat didn't hurt. Laughing here. She was the buzz of the vet clinic. People were congratulating her and telling her what a good dog she is. She got some handmade dinosaur biscuits to take home. And well........I am just so darned proud of my Collie Dog Tosca.

Tosca is now a neighborhood hero. The kids who love her, even the ones she has met on walks, stopped by and were all over her telling her how cool she is and one little girl cried at the thought that her Tosca would not be here, but I just told her, look how smart Tosca is! Do you think she would let two dumb pittbulls get the best of her? Tosca did her tricks for the kids and they were all happily convinced she is fine. Tosca, of course, is enjoying the adulation and all to happy to cooperate with the treats she has received from her admirers.

I only wish someone had taken a video of this altercation. The entire scene left people breathless and horrified. They expected to see a dead Collie, and truly, if it weren't for the guy with the bat, I don't think Tosca could have carried on that way for much longer. But the truth is, my Collie outsmarted two brain-damaged pittbulls. So let's hear it for brains over brawn.

I am still freaked out, but Tosca forgot all about it, it seems. She's the same jovial kid-loving Collie Ambassador she always was and the children who adore her cheered as she walked away from the pittbull death trap.

I'm not sad to say that the two pitties didn't fare as well. One of them has a concussion and possible hematoma, and the bat is no longer in service due to a head split. The other is in back pain. It also seems Tosca drew some blood. And to be perfectly honest, I don't care. I have pressed charges and the dogs will probably be confiscated as vicious, because that is exactly what they are.

As for me, I have some ugly scrapes and a huge dog nail scratch down the back of my leg. It's just today that I am feeling sore. But I'm okay. Thanks to my dog who put me first in the face of two pitbulls.

Thank you for my Tosca. I can never say it enough times. She saved my life and her own as well, because she just knew I couldn't live without her. I always knew I won the dog lottery when I got her.

This afternoon, Tosca is going to deliver a nice bottle of wine to the neighbor who cared enough to help a Collie out.

*** We later received a note that the two pit bulls were later euthanized. ***

2010 Review

2011-01-01T10:09:00.013-05:00

We wish all our cyber-paw pals a barky New Year. We hope 2011, the Year of the Rabbit is kind to every paw. We are laughing as pictures of Elmer Fudd chasing Bugs Bunny dance through our head. For us 2010 was okay, but there were sad times and good times. Now for the Key West Collies 2010 recap.

= = = = = = = =

Benjamin

20 JAN - We meet Benjamin the White Collie at Angel Paws.

27 FEB - Renovations are complete at our house.

15 APR - We have a new vehicle .

13 MAY - Cousin RJ signs are guest book.

22 MAY - Brother Buddy - Deacon Pawther adopts a family in the Florida Keys.

10 JUN – We celebrate our third blog-aversary.

12 JUN – Trip to Ohio, we see our pals Clyde, Hattie, Cassie and Dog Dad’s family.

Essex, Grand-Paw & Deacon

20 JUN - We celebrate Pawthers Day with Grand-Paw.

2 JUL – Return to Key West from our Ohio Trip.

13 AUG - Emergency Trip to Ohio.

18 AUG - Grand Paw crosses the Rainbow Bridge.

19 AUG - Tosca gets the better of two mean pitbulls. We get email from Tosca's Mom a couple days later and are amazed by the story.

25 AUG - Return to Key West.

25 SEP - Gremlins destroy our pool.

27 SEP - We meet Chase, the Red & White Irish Setter.

Essex, Deacon & Buddy

9 OCT - We get together with Buddy (Deacon's Dad, Essex's Brudder) at Islamorada Founder's Park Dog Park.

25 OCT - 5th Anniversary of Herricane Wilma.

3 NOV - Our computer and Internet go down.

10 NOV - The 35th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmond Fitzgerald. Made famous made famous in song by Gordon Lightfoot.

Kylie

13 NOV - We meet Kylie the Collie, who is staying next door for several months.

25 NOV - Essex's pal, Lucy crosses the Rainbow Bridge in Valdosta, Georgia. Lucy was 14 years old.

Lucy

8 DEC - The 30th anniversary of the shooting of John Lennon.

11 DEC - We are back up on the Internet

22 DEC - Dad’s Brudder, Stevie-Grrr-Wonder, comes to visit us.

23 DEC - Opy crosses the Rainbow Bridge. There are many sad dogs and humans through out DWB.

= = = = =

We look forward to 2011 and all the adventures that may come our way. Dog speed and may the Great Dane be with all our cyber-paw pals.

Essex & Deacon

Essex's Seventh Barkaversary

2010-12-31T14:11:00.006-05:00

Today is Essex's seventh barkaversary with Dog Dad. Dad got up early in the morning for our walk and sang Happy Barkaversary to her. It is hard to believe seven years ago today Dad drove up north to Holmhaven and picked up his best chum. In celebration of the Barkaversary we got some cheddar cheese and played a bit with Dad. Then he took a nap.

Our Neighbor Kylie Kylie and Deacon

We wanted to share some pictures of our Friend Kylie who lives next door. She isn't quite a year yet and is a small sable and white collie girl. Her Dog Mom is here for only a short while before moving to Japan. We sure like her and Dog Dad sneaks her treats sometimes.

With Our Essexmas Gifts

Deacon gets comfortable

With all this excitement we are ready to take a nap.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Happy Collie Days - 2010

2010-12-24T13:48:00.004-05:00

We wish all of cyber-paw pals a very merry Essexmas. We hope that Santa Paws brings you extra special dog treats and plenty of things you love. Maybe a golf cart to chase or a squirrel to catch.

Our Dad's brudder Stevie Grrrr-Wonder is visiting us and escaping the snow in Ohio. Why any paw would like to escape snow we don't know. We love playing in the snow and flipping it off our nose.

Dad has promised to make cheddar collies and peanut butter labs. Those are pawsome dog treats. Stay safe and may the Great Dane look over you.

Until tomorrow, Happy Colliedays to all. See you tomorrow.

Essex, Deacon & Dog Dad too.

We're Back

2010-12-12T09:50:00.002-05:00

Thank dogness, we are back after a long absence from cyber-paw space. First our old puter decides to go four paws to the wind. Then we decide to up grade to cable and figure Dad can handle the self install. Arrrrrggggg, no such luck. It was modem doesn't work, get a new modem. That one doesn't work set up an appointment to get hooooman to get it installed.

Well, the installer guy comes to our house. He has problems too. The modem didn't seem to be working right, so he uses one he brought. Still no signal. He asks Dad if he can drill a hole in the wall to run a new connection. Dad says that is okay with him. Now our house was built in 1970, so it is out of tough concrete blocks. The drill he brought has problems, so he has to go to the office and get a new one (BOL). The hole is in the wall, new wire spliced in and still there is a problem. He has to get his tall ladder, go up the telephone pole and replace the line to the house. After all that Dog Dad gave a sigh of relief because the puter is back up, and it was technical issues that prevented him from installing it himself.

In the meanwhile, we missed reading all of your posts and there were a number of things that we wanted to bog on too. Like the crossing the rainbow bridge by our DWB friend Snowball and our good dog friend Lucy in Valdosta, Georgia. Then there was Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the 35th Anniversary of the sinking of the Edmond Fitzgerald. Then we have a new Dog Friend next door.

Alas, life goes on and we are happy to be back.

Essex & Deacon

Collieween 2010

2010-10-31T08:38:00.006-04:00

We hope everyone had a Happy Collieween. Once again there will be all kinds of little children wandering our streets.

This Collieween we are keeping an eye on Herricane Tomas out in the Caribbean Sea. The words major herricane send even trolls and hobgoblins running for cover. We hope that every person and paw will be safe, but we think Tomas has other ideas. Tomas sure looks like a witches brew and we hope that Tomas has no tricks in store for us.

Projected path of Herricane Tomas

Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanograpy Center

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Wilma Plus Five

2010-10-25T17:01:00.003-04:00

Dog Dad and Essex were remembering Wilma today and yesterday. A lot has changed at our home since then. Her and Dad barked about stinky carpets, all the stuff they had to throw out.

They remarked on how things have changed for us. How the back fence had to be replaced, the pool bursting, the new counter tops, tiled floors. The looked at me and asked what we the best change. A smile came over their faces, when they said "Why the best change in our home was having you, Deacon, joining our family.

Dog Speed cyber-paw pals,

Deacon

Essex is Seven

2010-10-13T05:39:00.005-04:00

Two very wet collies

both withCollieween Eyes

Well today Essex is seven. The most important thing she wanted today was to get dried off after our morning walk. We had a pretty good rain this morning and both of us were pretty wet. We love our walk, but being toweled dry ranks pretty high up there.

We want to thank Maggie & Mitch for wishing us a happy barkday. Thank you to Dad's brudder Stevie Grrrr-Wonder for the Barkday Card in the mail. Dad will go out and get some extra treats later today.

Well, we got to get going. Hope all of you have a wonderful safe and dry day.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

New Cyber Pals and Awards

2010-10-11T14:29:00.006-04:00

Lady II & Lady I

First we want to say congratulate our good friends Lady I and Lady II on starting their own blog. You can visit them and say Howl-Low at "D's Collies". They are great pals of ours and we are so happy they have such a grrrreat mum.

Next we want to acknowledge this award we received way back in September from Kess. This award asked us to do the following:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award Kess. Many woofs Kess and may the Great Dane always look over you!

2. Share 7 things about yourself
---1. We love doing fence patrol.
---2. Golf carts are evil, thus we chase and bark them away.
---3. We come to Dog Dad when he whistles the tune from "Lassie." We do not answer if he whistles something else.
---4. We love cheese.
---5. Essex does not like fireworks, while they don't bother Deacon.
---6. Dog Dad loves us, though we think he should triple the amounts of treats we get.
---7. Essex is finicky about treats, Deacon just abouts any treat that you have.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic. Note: Ous is a mixture of new and old blogging pals and is only five. We want others to have the chance to give away awards too. It is no fun to get an award if you can't paws if to other paw pals.
1. Oorvie
2. Abby & Aiden
3. Lady I & Lady II
4. Kira & Scampi
5. Islay (He took over our beloved friend Charlie's place)

4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Buddy - Brudder - Paw

2010-10-10T22:12:00.008-04:00

Buddy

We sure enjoyed our surprise yesterday and it was black, white & brown like Dad said. We drove up the Keys and met Buddy. Buddy is Essex's brudder and he is Deacon's Paw. Sure is confusing.

We came in the park and went up to sniff each other. We did a little bit of greetings and then settled into routines. Unfortunately there were very few evil bicycles and such to chase.

Dad & Buddy's Mom talked for quite some time. Buddy is aloof like Essex. After we got done there we went over to visit our pal Kay and had a lot of cheese. We were very happy about our visit. We hope to do it again sometime.

Deacon spends time with his father, Buddy

Essex & her brudder Buddy

Essex, Deacon, Buddy

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Weekend Surprise

2010-10-08T21:13:00.004-04:00

We were talking to Dad today and he told us that he has a surprise for us this weekend. We asked him what the surprise was. He told us to think black, white and brown. We can usually figure out Dad's clues, but can't figure this one out. Maybe you could tell us about the surprise.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Chase

2010-09-27T20:38:00.009-04:00

Chase, the Irish Red & White Setter

Our pals Hunter & Baily have a new brudder. The new pups name is Chase and he'll get a lot bigger. Chase is a Red & White Irish Setter and should be somewhere between 50-70 lbs (27-32 kgs). He is quite playful and he tries to get both Essex and Deacon to play with him. He is very attached to his Dog Dad. We think he is a pawsome addition to our Dog Park.

His brudder, Hunter the Beagle

Sister, Baily the Cocker Spaniel
Hunter & Chase take a play break

Hunter, Baily and Chase all get along with us. Chase has learned to leave Essex alone during fence patrol. It is especially fun to watch him interact with Deacon. The two will probably be great chums once Chase gets bigger.

What are we looking for Essex?

Come on Deacon, lets be chums

On a sad note Mongo, Blue and Charlie are going to be moving to Colorado. We sure hope they enjoy all the cold and snow after spending three year in warm humid Key West.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

The Gremlins Visited

2010-09-25T11:24:00.004-04:00

Look what those pesky Gremlins did!

Those pesky gremlins visited us Friday and Saturday. First of all the Air Conditioning decides not to work last evening. By the time we figured it out, we decided to wait until this morning to call it in. Home was warm but we slept well. A really nice guy named Steve just got done fixing it, so we are cooling off right now.

Those gremlins really got us last night, while all of us were sleeping. We didn't notice it until Dad went into the back yard early this morning after our walk. Dad mumbled that the water sure is low. Then we all started looking and noted the gremlins had created a huge hole in the side of the pool and all the water had escaped. We are surprised that none of us had heard the explosion when the pool went. We sure must have been sleeping good.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Paw-to-Graphs

2010-09-21T21:03:00.004-04:00

We have been busy trying to catch up with things. It seems like everypaw wants something from us. We want to show you some pictures from our emergency trip to Ohio. The good news was we got to see some of our pals last August.

Next post, we want to introduce some friends to you and bark about the award we got from our cyber-paw pal Kess. In the meanwhile enjoy the paw-to-graphs from our emergency trip to Ohio in August.

Cassie with a Key West Coconut.

Hattie is ready for Vogue.

Resting at Auntie Becky's house.

Essex claims Clyde's bed.

Clyde and Deacon in Cincinnati

Evening clouds in Key West

Remembering Grand-Paw

2010-08-22T22:32:00.006-04:00

We finds it helps us a lot to look at the past. Today we are going to look at Grand-Paw's life. Grand-Paw was born in November 1918, shortly after the end of World War I, the Great War. There was only him, his sister Mary and his Mother because Great-Grand-Paw died in the great influenza epidemic of 1918.

His mother remarried but passed away when Grand-Paw was 13 during the Great Depression. Grand-Paw, his six brudders and two sisters were then sent to an orphanage. He went to school and played on the baseball team. He was pretty good player too.

Grand-Paw School Picture 1932-33

Grand-Paw's High School Baseball Team

With his six brudders

He then served with the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC). In 1939, the war set Europe ablaze once more. Grand-Paw entered the 5th Armored Division. He trained in Kentucky, California, Tennessee and New York. On 11 February 1944, he and the other soldiers departed the Port of New York destined for England. Eyes constantly swept the seas for the sight of a U-Boat periscope. He was assigned to a Catholic Chaplain and was called Deacon Joe by the other soldiers.

The 5th Armored landed in Europe several days after D-Day. Grand-Paw saw some of the most bitter fighting on the Western Front in a place called the Hurtgen Forest. This action took place between 14 September 1944 to 10 February 1945. The American Army suffered over 33,000 casualties, while the Germans were at least 28,000. Ernest Hemingway compared the fighting there to the British Offensive in Paschendale during World War I. The weather was bad, shells burst in the tree tops sending splinters and shrapnel down on the soldiers. It was better to hug a tree than huddle in a fox hole. Dad's unit, CCR, saw action during the Battle of Hurtgen Forrest from 20 November to 8 December. CCR was awarded the "Distinguished Unit Citation" for this action and French Croix de Guerre for 14-20 September 1944 action at Wallendorf and Our River. The 5th Armored was the first to cross the Siegfried Line and the closest American unit to Berlin at the end of the war.

Grand-Paw liked dogs back then

Grand-Paw, a Sherman Tank, Hurtgen Forrest

Grand-Paw and Sister Mary

Grand-Paw came back to the states after the war and went to work at the Ford Motor Company. He fell in love and married Grand-Maw in May 1948. They raised a family of three girls and two boys. It was a good family. He was grief stricken when Grand-Maw passed away in January 2008. Then in November 2008 he was admitted to a hospital to never return home. Unfortunately he never fully recovered and he was destined to spend the rest of his life in a nursing home saddening both us and Dog Dad.

Grand-Maw, Grand-Paw and Chaplain from the War

Reading Sunday Funnies to Young Dog Dad

At Work

After Grand-Maw Crossed the Bridge

Grand-Paw was a good kind loving man. A man with a twinkle in his green eyes and quick to smile at strangers. What he went through would have destroyed many a man but he became stronger. He loved God, his family and baseball. We are sure Grand-Maw and Pudgy were among those to meet him. We will always be proud of him, and given his beginnings, we do not see how you could have asked for a better man.

Dog Speed Grand-Paw,

Essex, Deacon & Dog Dad

Grand-Paw Crossed The Bridge

2010-08-18T23:15:00.004-04:00

Around 1130 AM Grand-Paw crossed the rainbow bridge. We are both happy and sad. Happy he is no longer in pain and because he has been bed ridden for about a year-and-a half. Sad because we enjoyed being around him, visiting the nursing home and seeing his eyes twinkle.

We were there right by Dog Dad's side when Grand-Paw crossed. We felt Dog Dad's hand stroke our fur and gather strength from us. We were all ready for this, so we are okay. We will know more what is going on with all the different hooman rituals late tomorrow.

When Grand-Paw crossed the bridge, we can imagine Pudgy came over to lick his face. Grand-Maw was probably the first to greet him.

We are okay cyber-paw pals. We are only a little bit tired from everything.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Grand-Paw Update

2010-08-16T08:15:00.006-04:00

We arrived safe in Northern Ohio yesterday. Grand-Paw has lost a lot of weight but is fairly lucid at times. My Dad's three sisters and his brudder were there at the nursing home. We even sniffed him and Grand-Paw gave us a weak smile and we could see his eyes light up.

We got to walk around the nursing home and we visited several people. Deacon got a lot of attention from strangers, while I just don't trust strangers.

We even visit our collie friends Cassie & Hattie last night. The weather here is a lot cooler than Key West. We'll it is time to go. It is time for a walk.

Essex & Deacon

Grand-Paw

2010-08-12T22:00:00.003-04:00

We haven't been posting lately, but Grand-Paw has been in bad shape and Dog Dad has been worried. We are going to be going on an emergency trip to Ohio. We fully expect Grand-Paw to be crossing the rainbow bridge soon.

Don't worry about Dog Dad, he is okay with it as Grand-Paw is 91. It has hard seeing Grand-Paw in the wheel chair and not be able to talk much when he visited in June. Dog Dad remembers a much younger and happier Grand-Paw. We traveling with Dog Dad as he refuses to leave us behind during herricane season. Besides Dad will need us for emotional support. Nothing like a face lick to make someone feel all better.

We are sure Dad's nickle dog Pudgy will be waiting to greet Grand-Paw when he crosses the bridge.

Dog Speed,

Essex, Deacon & Dog Dad

Bonnie Passed to the North

2010-07-25T19:46:00.004-04:00

Well, Tropical Storm Bonnie passed well to the north of us. We got very little rain and not much wind at all. To our surprise we even visited Angel Paws Friday evening. Except for all the little green seeds on our fur, all is well.

Essex wearing green seeds of the weed.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Bonnie is Over the Sea

2010-07-22T20:59:00.007-04:00

A vacation picture

We will be staying in Key West for Tropical Storm Bonnie. The current forecast has the center of the storm passing about 22 miles away with 45 knot winds at around 6 PM tomorrow. Guess that means no dog park, sigh.

Bonnie

The worst we should have to put up with is a Tropical Storm force winds and Dad has cleared the yard of loose objects. Dad has to go into work, so while we stay home guarding the house.

Dad has been singing the following:

Oh, Bonnie is over the ocean

Oh, Bonnie is over the sea

Oh, Bonnie is over the ocean

Oh, Bonnie be gentle to me

Be gentle

Oh, Bonnie be gentle to me, to me.

Yep, Dog Dad is silly, but we love him.

The Great Dane willing, we will post after the storm passes.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Deacon 4th Barkday

2010-07-12T20:49:00.005-04:00

Well cyber paw pals, Deacon is four years old today. It doesn't seem like it has been four years.

Deacon wearing a Barkday Hat

First Picture Dad saw of Deacon

Both of us got to eat some peanut butter and cheese ice cream, have some extra sharp cheddar cheese and some extra treats. Deacon got some big hugs from dog dad too. We need to get going, Dog Dad wants to give Deacon some more attention.

Dog Speed,

Deacon & Essex

Trip Paw-to-graphs

2010-07-11T20:48:00.017-04:00

It took us some time but here are our trip pictures. After leaving Key West, we went to Valdosta, Georgia and spent some time visiting with Lady I and Lady II. The next day we traveled to Cincinnati to spend time with Clyde. Clyde's bed was so comfy, Essex decided to claim it. BOL. After three days we drove up North to Elyria to visit Grand-Paw and Dad's two sisters. On the way we passed an Amish Buggy and barked like a foamy dog.

Essex, Lady I, Lady II and Deacon's butt.

Dad's nephew with the head of Anubis

Essex claimed Clyde's bed

Amish Buggy

We stayed with our Dad's sister, his boring nephews and Rosie the cat. His nephews played X-Box all day, even though the weather was nice outside. We have to visit our good pals Hatti and Cassi in Amherst, Ohio. That was a lot of fun and a poofing session.

Deacon looking for Rosie

Deacon through through the flowers

Hattie above and Cassie below

No it is not all from Essex. All four were poofed.

We had fun visiting Grand-Paw at the nursing home. Even Clyde came up with his family from Cincinnati to visit.

Clyde

Clyde and his family visit Grand-Paw

We stopped on our way back to visit Lady I and Lady II in Valdosta, Georgia. They took us out to the city dog park and we had a pawsome time. We loved seeing them and had a good time.

Four Collies at the gate

Essex & Lady II

Deacon has a wet nose

Lady I resting by the ice bowl

Deacon and the Dog Mom of Lady I & II

Southward Bound

2010-06-25T07:11:00.002-04:00

We will be leaving Northern Ohio today. We'll stop by to visit Grand-Paw one last time on the way. The first stop will be to visit cousin Clyde in Cincinnati. We are hoping to see another deer.

We'll post pictures when we get home. Dad has been mumbling about forgetting a cord for his camera. You have been seeing pictures from his siblings cameras.

Essex & Deacon

Happy Pawther's Day

2010-06-20T17:12:00.009-04:00

We hope that everyone has a pawsome Pawther's Day. We went out to the nursing home and visited Grand Paw. He really enjoys seeing us. We were there with Grand Paw and his two sisters, and three of their children.

Essex, Deacon & Grand Paw

It was an amazing time as we visited about ten other people. We would walk by a room and the people would motion Dog Dad to come in. Deacon would go right up to the people, get tons of pets and gave kisses to several of them. Essex made sure Dog Dad was between her and the strangers. During all of this Dad shook his head and said "Essex, you silly girl."

Here is a picture of Rosie the cat. She tolerates us and Deacon must have been sniffing her from about five inches a couple times.

Rosie, chilling out

Dog Speed

Essex & Deacon

Arrived Safe

2010-06-16T17:35:00.004-04:00

We are safe and sound in Northern Ohio. The first day we drove to Valdosta, Georgia and spent the night with our good friends Lady I and Lady II. It was a lot of fun to see them and both of them are a lot thinner.

The next two days we were visiting our cousin Clyde in Cincinnati, Ohio. Clyde and a deer were about two inches apart. Unfortunately Dog Dad camera needed new batteries.

Now we are in Northern Ohio visiting Rosie the Cat. We saw Cassie and Hattie. It was a lot of fun and there was a lot of wagging collie tails.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

Northward Bound

2010-06-12T08:46:00.003-04:00

Dog Dad was rushing around yesterday. He was muttering so much to do, so little time. He started getting the car ready and told us we were heading North to Ohio. We'll be visiting all our pals.

We'll see Lady I, Lady II, Hattie, Cassie, Clyde and Rosie the Cat. That sure makes us happy though Dad looks tired. It will be tough keeping up with stuff, but we'll try to keep up with every pup.

Cooler weather, dog pals and Dog Dad not going to work. A collie could get used to this.

Dog Speed,

Essex & Deacon

We Remember

2010-06-06T21:43:00.005-04:00

On TV and in the newspaper we noticed the subject of D-Day was brought up. So we asked Dog Dad what he knew about it. He told us it was many, many dog moons ago when Grand-Paw was a young pup. There was terrible fighting taking place in Europe and Asia. A bunch of soldiers landed to free Europe from some terrible goings on. A lot of those young men never made it back home.

He told us Grand-Paw was still in the United Kingdom when D-Day took place. Grand-Paw landed several days later. The nightmare Grand-Paw was in a place called Hurtgen Forrest. That is a story for another time and place.

Today we remember those who sacrificed their lives on 6 June 1944 in a far away place called France. The picture below is of Grand-Paw in Paris, France after VE Day.

Grand-Paw 1945, Paris, France

Essex & Deacon

A Letter From Buddy

2010-05-29T20:29:00.004-04:00

Dear Sis and Son,

I have found my fur-ever home. I adopted a nice lady that lives in the Upper Keys. I know she would love for us all to get together, so if I am ever in Key West I'll stop by to visit. You do the same if you ever are traveling up the Keys to the mainland.

I left Holmhaven Saturday last week and came down to the islands. I see why you like them. Like you I've worked my Collie Magic and she takes me all over the place. Look forward to seeing you.

Buddy

= = = = = =

By the Great Dane this is pawsome news. We will have to get together with him soon. It has been three and a half years since we've seen him. His son Deacon has turning into a fine young collie. Still a bit mischievous, but nothing real bad. As for me, maybe we can get together four our barkday. That would be pawsome.

This is most excellent news.

Essex & Deacon