Sherman is Four

Cyber-Paw pals it is hard to believe that I am already four years old.  When I woke up this morning, Dad was singing Happy Barkday to me.  After our walk I got some extra treats.  

Dad took me to Angel Paws Dog Park when he got back from work.  It was a grey cloudy day and only my pal Bella showed up.  We had plenty of fun running around though.  It was supposed to rain, but I  am still waiting for that to happen.

Barking It Up At The Dog Park

Time For a Break

A Grey Bark Day

After Angle Paws, I went to say Howl-Low to my pal Tonks.  Plenty of tail wagging.  When we got home, I read a Barkday Card from Stevie-Grrrr-Wonder and the cats (Slick, Rocky and Cassie).  Next Dad showed me all my presents.  Lots of treats, since I don't play with toys.  

Thanks For The Barkday Card Stevie-Grrr-Wonder

Dad Can I Eat All of Them Now??

My Barkday wish is to celebrate the next with another Collie my home.

Dog Speed,

Sherman

Keeping Paws Crossed

I am keeping my paws crossed cyber-paw pals.  Star is pregnant at Holmhaven and puppies are expecting at the end of the month.  Will a tri-color girl be finally be born?  Dad and I sure hope so.  It will be nice to have some paw to bark along with me.

Rameses

Star

Angel Paws is busy some days and quiet other days.  I need to make sure Dad brings along the camera.  In July my pal Karma will be staying with us for about a week.  I am looking for a rowdy time at my house.

Dog Speed,

Sherman

Doodlebug

I have seen the signs of a doodlebug in my yard.  Dad and I were looking around and saw this strange round feature in our front yard.  Dog Dad looked at me and said in reminded him of an ant-lion trap.  He told me the ant-lion is a small critter that builds a sandpit trap.  A bug wanders near the sand pit and falls down, it tries to get up to no avail.  The ant-lion then grabs the insect and pulls it under for it's meal.  Another name for the ant-lion is a doodlebug.  This is the first time Dad has ever seen a doodlebug sand trap..  

An Ant-Lion Trap

Dog Speed,

Sherman 

Keeping Dad Smiling

I have been busy today making Dad smile.  Running around acting like a nut case at the dog park, licking his face and being goofy.  Dad still gets a little wistful but I understand why.  It was four years ago today that Uncle Deacon crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

He has told several stories about Uncle Deacon today.  There was Uncle Deacon taking biscuits right out of a persons pants pocket, the muddy paws playing tug of war with Mongo and having Sasha the Rat Terrorist bouncing all over him.  He called Deacon the Collie Ambassador because he did so well with both people and pups.

Angel Dog Uncle Deacon Playing With Sasha

Dad smiles and gives me hug.  He dwells on the good times and gives me another hug.  I think both Great Auntie Essex and Uncle Deacon would be proud of me.  I know Dad loves me.

Dog Speed,

Sherman

Slimed

One thing about having good friends that are a boxer and a labrador  retriever is that when you play, you get slimed.  So here are two pictures of me after playing with Bella and another one after playing with Rue.

Bella got my nose good

Bella Inspects Her Slime Work

Home After Playing With Rue

Hope everyone had a pawsome Memorial Day Weekend.  I enjoyed having Dad around to keep me company.

Dog Speed,

Sherman

Buster and Remembering DWB

Last Tuesday, Dog Dad got together with Angel Dog Buster's Mom in Key West.  She was visiting with some facebook paw pals.  Her and Dad went out for dinner and then off to Angel Paws with me.  She is a super nice lady and she gave me a lot of attention.  They talked for hours about how much they missed Dogs With Blogs (DWB) and paws they had met there.  The talked about long gone cyber-paw pals and all the adventures.  There were a long list of people, plenty of interesting dog blogs to read back then.  

A Picture of Buster Around 2007 

During the first few years of this Collie Blog, Buster would be busy reminding folks about the DWB chat room.  There would be six or eight paws in the room and at times it was impossible to follow the conversation.  Those memories make Dad smile.  Dog Dad told me that DWB reminded him of Camelot.  It was a state of mind more than a place.  There were so many similar, yet different minds that were DWB members.  There were adventures with other pups like Charlie and a sharing of information about grooming, health and what food to eat.  Other blogs barked about a pups latest doings, others barked about their travels, some had a constant adventure, others like ours was a combination of remembering the past and our real world tails.  One real world event Dad still talks about is Great Auntie Essex running into the sign post at the City Dog Park.  Dad can still see the patches of fur missing from Great Auntie's face and her limping as she came to him.  The myth of a dog's being aware of their surroundings vanished with that single incident..  

Buster like Great Auntie Essex and Uncle Deacon has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  However, all of them will be furever in the hearts of their pawrents.  At times memories will flood their minds, their current pups will be told about adventures many dog moons ago, at times eyes will glisten and emotions will be heard in those hooman voices.  .  

The Last DWB Page

There are folks like Dad and Buster's Mom that will furever miss DWB.  It was a pawsome place that disappeared far to quickly.  The only thing that still exists is the Chat Room, which we still use.  Oh, those magical Sunday Mornings when so many pups were on line together.

Dog Speed, 

Sherman

CC Crossed The Bridge 23 April

I sadly report that CC crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Thursday 23 April, while sleeping.  I knew much earlier, but Dad read the e-bark this morning.  CC may have been blind and cripple, but he was a happy dog.  He never met Great Auntie Essex, but CC wandered all around Angel Paws.  CC was the only surviving pup from his litter.  His mom had diabetes.  It was amazing to see CC get around the park and play with the other pups.

CC at Angel Paws

CC reminded Dog Dad of one of Terhune's collie, Fair Ellen.  Fair Ellen was born a blind on 25 February 1922.  After finding out Fair Ellen was blind, Terhune was going to put her out of her misery.  His wife responded "She has no misery to be put out of, she is having a beautiful time in life.  She doesn't know anything better.  She thinks everyone and everything is like herself.  Why should you kill her while she is so happy.  Wait till she finds out she is afflicted.  Is there so much happiness in the world that you should kill something that has found it?"

Fair Ellen may have been born blind, but she wandered the expanses of Sunnybank for many moons until she crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 1 July 1933.  Dog Dad found Fair Ellen to be the most inspirational of all of the Sunnybank Collies.

Dog Dad and I will miss CC next year.  He lived a long and happy life.  Most importantly, he was loved.

Dog Speed,

Sherman