Waiting for Spring and Pupdate

Alice went outside this morning and just seemed to be waiting for spring to arrive -- it is just about here! The bradford pears are beginning to bloom, and the trees are starting to get that misty green veil that gets a little darker everyday. If you look closely, you can see Gold Kitty soaking up the morning sun from inside the porch! The little bush behind Alice is a hybrid wysteria that came from my grandmother's house. It is just beginning to put on buds.




The camellia is now starting to bloom - a little late this year! Camellias are not native to this part of the world, and the soil and climate are not really suited for camellia growing. I think this one lives because it is very sheltered and I fertilize it well. The are really pretty, but they have no fragrance.


Thank you to all our furriends who voted in the MVP photo contest for Bagger, a dog rescued by troops in Iraq and brought to the US by SPCA International. Bagger ended up with 800 votes. Bissell has not announced the winners of this week's contest, but if Bagger wins, he will end up in a final round that could win $10,000 for Operation Baghdad Pups.

Wordy Wednesday: Help SPCA International Rescue More Animals from the War Zone

One of our favorite animal rescue agencies, SPCA International, sent out this plea to supporters yesterday:

"Please help U.S. soldier Dan Irvin and his wife Renee by voting for their Operation Baghdad Pup, Bagger, in the Bissell Most Valuable Pet Contest. Bagger is already ranked 20th out of over 2000 participants. If Bagger's photo wins Bissell will donate $10,000 to Operation Baghdad Pups to ensure that more soldiers like Dan can bring home their patriot pets. Your vote could get us the win."

This is the photo of Bagger, a happy dog living stateside!


Operation Baghdad Pups has been super successful in bringing dogs and cats adopted by troops in the war zone HOME. It is easy to help: just click on the MVP graphic posted on the side bar and it will take you to Bagger's entry . It will take a few minutes to register, but it is worth it. I thought this Bissell program might be of interest to some of our blog friends who are involved in volunteering and fundraising for their local rescue groups. It looks like a great way to raise money. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Meet Whiskey River!

Meet Whiskey River, the newest member of the Bean family! Whiskey is a ten year-old registered American Quarter Horse. Yesterday we drove out to visit Whiskey and to find out if he was the right horse for us.....he is!

Whiskey River has been living on a horse farm dedicated to rehabilitating rescue horses. Before landing at this farm, Whiskey belonged to a nice woman who could not afford to keep him. Lenny, who owns the farm, agreed to let Whiskey live there (he calls it the Fours Seasons for Horses......it is a good description!). Since Lenny is currently trying to sell the farm, he was offering Whiskey free to a good home. Whiskey River will make the journey to his new home at our riding barn in about two weeks.

Fast Facts about Whiskey River:
* Whiskey is really big for a quarter horse: he is 16 hands!
* Whiskey has freckles on his face.
* Whiskey is trained in both western pleasure and hunter/jumper.
* Whiskey is really friendly!
* Whiskey is a gelding.

BB and Whiskey get to know each other:


BB's instructor Judy rides Whiskey first:




Time for BB to get on:





BB is just big enough to ride Whiskey -- she won't outgrow him, that is for sure! BB did some walking and trotting and decided that Whiskey was absolutely the horse for her!

Here, BB plays with Freedom the dog -- All the animals at this farm are rescue!


Note to our friends at the Poupounette: one of the horses at the farm was a big black Percheron! He was very beautiful and majestic. It was so fun to see one in the flesh as we had just seen #1's pictures from the Salon de l'Agriculture!

Morning Routine

After BB gets off to school in the mornings (which is a whirlwind of activity that Sammy finds extremely exciting), mornings around the Bean household are usually pretty quiet until walk time. I generally do some chores, catch-up on emails, read the news, & etc.

Gold Kitty's practice is to use this time for restful reflection in his favorite spot:

(Truth to tell, GK spends nearly all his time in this manner! He highly recommends it.)

Tiger, on the other hand, likes to lend his assistance to my computer work in a snoopervisory role:


Sammy spends a good deal of the morning in the backyard in nice weather, but likes to check out other angles of the yard from the comfort of BB's room:



As for Alice, she has to pawsitively fling herself on the sofa for a nap before a big walkie!



(Note that Alice is not entirely on her blanket like she is meant to be.........)