FFHT: The First Time

This month's inclusion is: "That was the first time I ever . . ."





For full instructions on how to pawticipate in our monthly Fractures Fryday Hairy Tails (FFHT) just click here!

When me and Stanley got borned from our mom Daisy, we lived in a swimming pool.  Yes, with all our brothers and sisters (7 in all), our world was mom, each other, and that pool.

When we were 5 weeks old we stopped living in the pool and lived in a cage thingie that allowed us to walk out into an area to pee and poop but it was still in the same room as the swimming pool.

Then when we turned 7 weeks old, our pawrents came to take us to our furever home.  It was a long ride in the truck, the first of many but we didn't know it cuz it was the first time we ever rode in the truck!  Once we got to our new home we heard mom say that we should go to this place called the backyard.  We never went to a backyard before!  So mom showed us how to get there (we needed help with the stairs) and put us down on the grass.  Me and Stanley looked at each other and then looked at the view of the valley floor below.  That was the first time we ever saw the world.

Murphy & Stanley

Backyard Business

Nothing special goin' on.  We're just takin' care of business . . . 

I guess not cuz he didn't say anything when I barked out my offer . . .

Murphy & Stanley

Wordless Wednesday

Murphy & Stanley

A Very Sad Thing Happened

Warning:  This post will probably make you cry.

Our mom's heart is broken.  You may or may not remember our furend Casey R. Doodle.  We wrote a post about him here.  We just love him and his mom (who is called goddess but her real name is Mary).  They go on adventures and are soulmates.  Casey goes to work with goddess every day at the foodbank in the Seattle area. His mom, goddess, is what mom calls a sweet spirited hooman full of love and compassion. Through their Facebook posts many people have been touched by Casey and goddess's humor, compassion, love and light.  We can't count the times Casey has said "I lub you all" before going to bed.  Here is Casey and goddess:

Last night as mom was getting ready to go to bed, she thought she'd check Facebook.  She read a post from goddess/Mary:

This is the hardest post I’ve written, and one I’m not sure should be written at all. What is the protocol for telling friends- old and new—goodbye…that you’re dying…that you only have days or weeks left? Or maybe it’s not something we should speak about in polite company at all.
A persistent ache in my abdomen, dark urine…”quick” trip to neighborhood clinic. Rushed to ER, then 7 days in ICU, 2 more on another floor. Biopsies, surgeries, scans, and tests. Finally made it home to wrap up loose ends. Very weak, not online much.

The words hit me like a shotgun blast, just out the blue: advanced liver cancer…treatment, chemo, surgery not possible. You have a matter of days or weeks left.
Very weak, not online much, but just want to say that each and every one of you here has enchanted and enlightened me at one time or another. You are the constellations in my sky. I love you and thank you for your light.
Mary

So many people say that the friends we make online aren't real and that the relationships aren't real, just virtual. Mom's tears on her pillow last night were not virtual. We don't think Mary has any family. Casey has already gone to live with his litter-mate brother Milo so goddess is truly alone. Please pray for Mary and Casey.

Brokenhearted Murphy & Stanley & Mom

Minding my Own Beeswax!

I was just minding my own beeswax . . . 

And then the next thing I knew . . . 

Murphy & Stanley but mostly Stanley

Doodz Do What Doodz Do!

You may have already seen us on Facebook . . .

Murphy & Stanley

Nap Time!

During the warm summer months mom and dad get up REALLY early to go running.  On Fridays, me and Stanley get up early too cuz that is the day we run 6 miles with our pawrents.  So on these days a nap is necessary!

* The "Tut" bed is a cedar chest at the end of the bed with a memory foam mattress on it (making it the same height as the bed).  Many nights it is used for "doggie overflow".



Murphy & Stanley

Some Reminders

I just gotta tell you three thingies.  Furst of all, you gotta pop over to Oreo's place to get the instructions to pawticipate in the Demolition Derby at the end of August.  The deadlion for photos is the 20th and he still needs some help with some other stuffs.  We stole this picture from his blog post (so don't tell him) to get you in the mood!

Another thingie is that FFHT is just a week from today, on the 31st.  Check the tab on our bloggie for details.

And finally the last thingie is that we have our first planning meeting next week for the Blogville National Retreat!

We will be determining our actual location but we already know it will be in the Indianapolis, Indiana area. And because of BlogPaws, we will schedule it earlier in the month of June. We should be able to get some details out to you shortly after our meeting!

We are compiling a list of those who are planning on coming (as well as those who want a regional event) and will post that along with more details of the time/location in the near future. But the thingie you should know is that we are NOT planning to make this a yearly (or even repeated) event. 

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet a bunch of furends in the furs!

The organizers of the BNR Headquarters are:  Madi, Oreo, Dory, and us!

Murphy & Stanley

Pig

Mom and dad brought me and Stanley new stuffies.  Stanley got a moose and I got a Porky Piggy.  I love him.

Murphy & Stanley

Wordless Wednesday

2016 Retreat

First I'm gonna show you a picture of me taking a nap after my run on Friday . . .

I was really tired.

OK, now the update on the 2016 Retreat.  First of all, we are still in the early stages BUTT there are a few things that have already become apparent so I will tell you what we know right now.  Here are the blogs interested (to varying degrees) in a retreat:

Tails Around the Ranch

Madi

Idaho Pugs

Dory

Oreo

Poodle At Play

Army of Four

Casey

Abby Lab @ Book of Barkley

Sprinkles

Finn

Yam Aunty 

Ruby (Daily Pip)

Oz 

Ruby & Otto at Rottrover

Barking at the Bayou

Cookie's Comments

leesarge

Maddie the Pug (Military Pug Wife)

Millie & Walter

KB Bear - close

OP Pack

Cowspots

Hailey & Phod 

Mara

Bertie - EU

Leah - EU

Charlie - Aussie

Cara & Crew

We had quite a number of you who were interested in a more regional retreat, meaning you did not want to travel far.  And there were some others (like mom) who are interested in meeting in the furs even if it is not nearby.  So . . . 

For those who want a regional retreat you will need to tell us what state/country you are in (you can leave it in comments) so we can put you in touch with others who are nearby.  And this other thing is the most impawtent part so listen carefully . . . someone needs to volunteer to host or coordinate that particular regional meeting.  Without someone volunteering to do that, the REGIONAL retreat will NOT happen.  Then we will forward the names of the others in the same region to the person who is hosting.  We will help advertise your regional meeting as well as refer any latecomers to you for inclusion.

For those of you willing to travel or lucky enough to live in the right spot, that is the one we will coordinate along with Oreo, Dory & Madi.  We will call it the 2016 National Retreat.  We have an initial time frame of mid to late June.  We have NOT tied down the location yet because we need more information on available hotels, RV parks, dog friendly events, etc. but it is LIKELY to be in Indiana somewhere.  We need a person close to the place who might be familiar with available options and willing to do footwork.  So for those reasons we have not made a final decision YET.

So as you can see, we still have lots of work ahead of us.  We will pin down date and location as soon as we can.  So in the meantime, we want to know who would LIKELY travel to the 2016 NATIONAL Retreat?  We need to know how large of a group we'd LIKELY be looking at.  Also let us know if you would be bringing a spouse, doggies, or an RV.  You can leave it in comments or email us at cecampbell[AT]msn[DOT]com.

Thanks to Dory & mom for the badge!  OK to copy badge & post.

Murphy, Stanley & Mom

2016 National Retreat Headquarters

Wild Is As Wild Does!

Me and Stanley were asked to review a treat from Sojos called Simply Wild.  We were not paid for our endorsement, nor were we under any obligation to give it a positive review.  We were provided the treats free of charge.

*****

We were pretty excited to get 3 packages of treats from Sojos.  The reason for that is the reputation they have for quality ingredients and high manufacturing standards. And their company is in Minnesota!

We liked the name of the treats cuz it made us think of the days when our early Goldendoodle ancestors roamed the earth wild, hunting and catching their prey.  So right away we were in touch with our wild side.  I mean, you have seen National Geographic, right?

Mom opened that first package - Free Range Wild Boar - and our senses were on fire!  We're talking about freeze dried RAW meat!  Stanley started giving dad his special smile that makes dad give him more treats.

I couldn't take it, I had to get that Wild Boar in my mouth!

So after we tried Wild Boar Stanley said we should smile special at dad and see if we could try the Salmon.

It worked! So I tried it too!

OMD!  This stuff really is insanely delicious!

So then we got to try out the Venison too!  Yup, we tried all THREE of them!!  And each one of them was fantastic!  There isn't a bunch of stuffs like colorings or preservatives added to them either, just  USDA certified meat!

Yes, mom had to remind Stanley that we weren't wild animals and that we had to remember our manners and share.

A note of caution, if you doggies try this stuff you will go wild for them and forget your sharing manners.

 We give Sojos our full endorsement of 8 paws for their Simply Wild treats!

Murphy & Stanley

Three Musketeers

We are calling ourselves the Three Musketeers!

What?  You think there are only two of us?  Look again!

Murphy & Stanley & Van Gogh

Farm Market

We went someplace fun today!  It was a really cool morning so we along with a million other people went to the Farmer's Market!

There were so many people in the other sections (not pictured) that mom couldn't even take a picture of us!  But she said it was good experience walking through the thick crowds.

It thinned out in these areas.  Good thing cuz the posse did a show and shot off guns so we thought someone was shooting US!

We smelled all kinds of critters!  I asked this fella if he wanted to be in the Blogville Rodeo next year and he said to give him a call!

We wheely, wheely, wheely had fun seeing the GIANT farm machines!

The farmers thought me and Stanley would make good helpers!

Murphy & Stanley

Missing Limbs

Seems like something is different . . . 

Murphy & Stanley

Stanley's Deaf!

Stanley can't hear but we know why . . .

Murphy & Stanley

Wordless Wednesday

Murphy & Stanley