The Silver Mine . . . and his

 Look carefully in the background, and you will see my new home away from home! Mom calls it "The Silver Mine . . . . and his" -- with "mine" meaning her, and "his" meaning dad! We traveled all the way to Tennessee to bring her home.

Oh, also be sure to check out my new raincoat! It is a gift from Carie McDowell. It's from the Martha Stewart doggie collection with Marth's signature doggie-bone design on the fabric!

These pictures were taken at one of our first campouts in the new Airstream -- at Fort Loramie State Park. I could get used to being an AIRDOG!

Hanging around . . .

Who knows where you'll see me next. My mom is big on finding places for me to pose.

 

Rallies and Road Trips; Take #1

Summer is finally here, and for the second year in a row I go to go on the family vacation!






The First order of business was to stop by Angela's and get my summer groom -- a little bit shorter for vacation and so much easier to keep neat on the road. Thanks Angela!

Our first stop was to Elkmont Campground in the Great Smokey Mts. and the KOA in Townsend, TN to meet up with lots of other TABs and RPODs to view the syncronized fireflies display that happens every June. I wish I had gotten some pictures of the fireflies -- but they are pretty hard to focus on in the pitch black dark!

But, I did get my picture taken at the KOA with Ken -- a former TAB owner and current full-time work camper at the Townsend KOA! That is my dream some day -- to go and work camp just like Ken & Bonnie!

And my favorite relative, Aunt Tink (mom's sister, Johanna) was camped a the KOA! She LOVES me and one of her favorite things is to go on TAB and RPOD camping rallies where often gets to meet up with ME!
An added benefit is that mom (a TABber) and Aunt Tink (an RPODder) get to spend some time together, too!

It rained a bit and I was glad I came prepared with my yellow slicker. It did nothing to protect my ears and my head, and nothing to protect my feet. I have a feeling that this was just another one of my mom's "dress up" tricks.

 Dad and I got caught eating cream puffs inside the TAB trailer.

 There is not a hint of guilt on my face.

 Looking out the window of the TAB.

Posing with Aunt Tink's flalmingo flock. . .  and with
a little guy called Busta!

Pretty in Pink -- for the Summer

Yesterday I reminded Mom that she has been neglecting my blog, and hasn't posted anything new since May! Because I had just gotten back from a visit to Angela's doggie spa, we headed outside for a picture. I got my hair cut a little shorter than usual this time so I would be in good shape for 2 weeks of camping and vacation.

Mom did promise to take lots of pictures and record my travels as we head out for the summer. Check back for reports and pics.

BRR means . . . . .

BRR really means "Blue Ridge Rally", a rally of tiny TAB trailers organized by Sharon Sigmon in the beautiful  Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Mom forgot to tell me that, because when I got there, I thought BRR stood for BaRRRRRRRRRRking ALLOWED!

We drove to the rally through some of the worst storms ever recorded in the southern states, and arrived at 1:00 AM. We were so tired that when the campground sirens went off at 1:30 AM and most campers headed for the bathroom, I slept right through it.

TV 13, a station in Ashville, NC came out to the campground to video a news segment on our tiny trailers. The cameraman caught a look of me doing my dead dog gag and filmed it for the station's Facebook page. Here's a link:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=212906475403813

From my point of view, the rally was a doggie success -- here are some of the new friends that I met. (My mom did not do a very good job of getting around and getting pictures of all the doggies that showed up; there were over 12!)



 

Jazz




Bosco



 

Scout



Tink's flock. They moved and lit up and did everything but . . . . BARK!



Spencer & Nancy



Spencer and I got caught wearing matching backpacks around the campground!

Mom couldn't let the weekend go by without plopping me down on a fence rail.



The PANDATESE

Did you hear I won 3rd place

in an extreme grooming contest?

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                                                 APRIL FOOLS !

Little Farm by the River

Our camping season finally began this weekend with our first trip to Little Farm by the River RV Resort near Rising Sun, Indiana.

Our campsite was right on the Ohio River.  That is me on my picnic table with a view of the river -- and across the river is Kentucky.

The weather was a mix of rain and sun and wind and cold!

I ditched the long-john pjs I have been wearing all fall and winter, in favor of my new (store-bought!) designer wear by Martha Stewart.

Last time I had my hair done, Mom told Angie I was growing my bangs out and not to cut them. This picture shows that I might need to reconsider having the bangs trimmed and styled a bit -- or opt for a top-knot bow to keep them out of my eyes!

We're home now -- but I fear there is a bath in my very near future!

The End of the Line

It's a real problem when there is only one tree!

Patron of the Arts

I have always been a fan of the arts  -- 

especially when the subject is yours truly!

"Hold still, Charlie, hold still!"

"Somebody get a comb and fix that hair!"

"Put that ear back up, Charlie!"

No wonder I prefer the camera over the brush!

Up a Tree OR Out on a Limb!

I have no idea why I enjoy being up in a tree, or posing on a ledge, a wall, or a rock so much! It started on an extended camping trip to the National Parks of the Southwest: Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches, Petrified Forest and Capital Reef. Mom would carefully set me in position, and I would see the camera -- throw up my ears and hold the pose!





Mom is sometimes afraid she will be turned in for animal endangerment, but most people looking at the pictures can tell that I love what I am doing!

A New Twist on an Old Trick!

Some dogs do the "dead dog" trick by flopping down on the floor and playing dead. I prefer to play dead dog while my mom holds me in her arms! 

A Dog's Purpose

Ever since my mom read me this book by Bruce Cameron, I've been trying to figure out what my purpose in life is!  I wonder if driving Scout the pomeranian crazy counts as a purpose in life? Or, barking at the mail man? Or, giving my mom a good foot-lickin'? Or jumping in the dishwasher and giving the dirty dishes a good cleaning before the door gets shut?  Anyway, if you're looking for a good book that will have you looking at your doggie in a different way, get this book!

Talking about DESIGNER Dogs

As mentioned before -- I'm a Papitese, a mix of a Papillion and a Maltese. Here are a few other mix-breeds that are popular!

Pointer + Setter =
Poinsetter, a traditional Christmas pet
 

Kerry Blue Terrier + Skye Terrier =
Blue Skye, a dog for visionaries
 
Great Pyrenees + Dachshund =
Pyradachs, a puzzling breed
 
Pekingnese + Lhasa Apso =
Peekasso, an abstract dog
 
Irish Water Spaniel + English Springer Spaniel =
Irish Springer, a dog fresh and clean as a whistle
 
Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever =
Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists
 
Newfoundland + Basset Hound =
Newfound Asset Hound, a dog for financial advisors
 
Terrier + Bulldog =
Terribull, a dog prone to awful mistakes
 
Bloodhound + Labrador =
Blabador, a dog that barks incessantly
 
Malamute + Pointer =
Moot Point, owned by....oh, well, it doesn't matter anyway
 
Collie + Malamute =
Commute, a dog that travels to work
 
Deerhound + Terrier =
Derriere, a dog that's true to the end
 
Cocker Spaniel + Rottweiller =
Cockrot, the perfect puppy for that philandering ex-husband

Bull Terrier + Shitzu =
Bullshitz, a gregarious but unreliable breed

TOP DOG!

In our little town we don't have anyone that does micro-chips or that even has a micro-chip reader; so mom started looking for other alternatives. Of course, I have my dog-tag with name, home phone number and cell phone numbers for when we are traveling. That is a very quick way to find me if I would escape and get lost.

Then, Mom found a product called Top Tag Pet ID: http://www.toptagpetid.com/   

 It is a little USB computer thumb drive that is housed in a waterproof clear plastic case. Insert it in a computer and the program pops up with all my identifying information, as well as detailed information about my likes and dislikes and how to care for me until I am reunited with my family.

see the little Top Dog case hanging from my collar?

The neat thing is that this little tag will help someone get in touch with with mom immediately, instead of having to go to a place with a micro-chip reader.

I KNOW............... I keep telling my Mom I need to get the micro-chip just in case I would lose my collar.

I've Got the Camping Bug

In this family, you better like camping because that is where we spend  most of the summer months and many fall weekends. Our little camper is called a TAB, and it is just my size.

I frequently get dirty and wet hiking on the trails or around the campground loop. But, once I dry off and have a quick brush, I'm back to being pretty again.

Of course, I have all the equipment and clothes I need for camping.

My backpack -- I carry my own poop bags!

My pink camo long-john PJs for cold nights





Snow suit and booties for cold-weather camping



Summer Jammies









Best of all, sometimes I get to go camping with Annie, my Papillon friend.

Sometimes I sit in my chair and watch all the action around the campground. Sometimes I go in the air-conditioned TAB to chill out. Somemtimes I run around in my own little private screen room.