SUN SEARCHING

Hey Hounders,

It's the Kitties here today to tell y'all about one of our favorite past times; right up there with eating and sleeping. In fact, it's kinda related to sleeping. Ya see, one of the best places to sleep is where it's warm and toasty. And one of the places that is warm and toasty is in our sunbeams. We hadn't seen a lot of sunbeams this past month, but they've been around more frequently the last few days. All of us cats really like lounging in oour sunbeam. The darn things like to move around though so sometimes we have to move to readjust our position to take full advantage of the toasty goodness. We don't like it when the sunbeam get tired and go to bed; then it gets dark and cooler and we have to find toastiness in other places like next to the kitchen PC or under a "doona." Here aresome picture of us enjoying our sunbeam:

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To take from one because it is thought that his own industry and that of his father’s has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association—the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

SATURDAY OUTING TO THE LAKE

Hey Hounders,

Max and Shiloh here to tell y'all some more about our walk down to the lake to go swiming saturday. One of the things that we got to do was to run along the shore line towards the woods and back:

We actually got to go into the lake and got wet. It was a beautiful day, about 75 degrees, but even though our side of the lake is heated, Shiloh thought the water was a bit cold....some Newfoundland spirit there Shiloh. Max, on the other hand, really enjoyed splashing around for the first time this year:

On the way back home from the lake we walk by the FooFoo's house and they were out in their yard. Max decided that he would serenade them to say hello:

All in all, we had a very nice outing to the lake. It was nice of our cuzin Caitlin, The Urchin, and dad to take us down to the lake for a little recreation and to finally welcome spring to Bumpass (we hope).

WE WON SOME AWARDS

Our blogging buddy Joey recently presented us with 3, count 'em 3, awards. We garnered the "Your Blog Is Fabulous Award" which makes us a two time winner,. We also won the Pink Roses Award which was presented because: "Pink Roses are given to all friends out there, bringing them a sweet and fruitful day. Those who receive these roses as a gift, you need to pass it on to 10 friends of yours to show them you care. And of course, for those who received the roses, that's to show that you're never forgotten."

And last, but not least, Joey presented us with the "Life Is Grand" Award. For this award we have to list 5 reasons why life is grand:

1. We have each other and live with a mom and dad who love us a lot and will do anything for our well fare.

2. We have a great cuzin Caitlin, a.k.a. The Urchin, who loves to come visit and play with us, pet us and generally give us lots of attention.

3. We live next to a great big lake that is actually heated year round for our swimming enjoyment.

4. We have such wonderful bloggie friends who mean so much to us and have opened our minds to whole new worlds and adventures. :=)

5. We often get to help find homeless dogs their new forever homes by helping Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary (AHGRR).

We want to pass each of these awards along to our blog buddies Mogley, Bella and Sassy. Sassy's adoption interview this last Saturday didn't work out as we had all hoped so she is gonna stay with Mogley and Bella a little while longer. Every body get your good vibes vibrating and send them over to Sassy with a few words of encouragement please. Thanks

- Max and Shiloh and The Bumpass Hounds and Kitties

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I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

-Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

FUN AT THE LAKE.

Hey Hounders,
Max and Shiloh here today. The weather has gotten a lot more like spring. It was warm and sunny yesterday, about 75 degrees. It was so nice that dad decided to take us swimming down at the lake. So dad leashed us up and him and The Urchin took us for a walk down to the boat launch area. At first we pulled dad pretty hard because we haven't been on a walk for a while, but after a few minutes we settled down pretty good. When we got to the lake, dad unleashed us and let us go into the water. Max went swimming and Shiloh went wadding. We even went for an exploratory run in the woods near the lake. Dad yelled at us and told us to come back, which we did obediently. We played for about half an hour and then the party pooper dad told us it was time to go home. Caitlin took Max's leash and Dad took Shiloh's leash and we started our walk home. On the way home, we stopped at the FooFoo's house and Max sang them a beautiful song. Then we went back into our pen and took a nap before dinner. It was a nice excursion.
- Max and Shiloh.

FROM MOGLEY'S BLOG
UP DATE on Sassy
Today (Saturday) we received a message that Sassy has someone interested in adopting her and giving her a Forever Home. Sassy is excited, she is packing her bags and will be to excited to sleep tonight. They found her on the GRRR rescue web site and read her profile. They want to meet her and see if they like her and if she likes them. They have submitted their application, their home has been visited by the inspection team to be sure they have a good home with a yard, proper fencing and lots of extra love to give. They have passed all the tests and all that is left is to meet Sassy and get her approval. Stay tuned and keep your paws crossed.
- Mogley G. Retriever

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To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. - Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

SUNNY SATURDAY

NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

LVTT SCHOOL FUND RAISER DOG SPA

SUNDAY APRIL 19TH

(CLICK ON FLYER TO ENLARGE)

THE URCHIN IS HERE, THE URCHIN IS HERE
Hey Hounders,
Big Jubes (Jubal) here today. Y'all know our cuzin Caitlin, a.k.a. "The Urchin." Well she didn't have to go to school Friday so Dad and Sophie went up to Fred Vegas (Fredericksburg, VA) to pick her up from her swim team practice Thursday night so she could spend the weekend with us here in beautiful downtown Bumpass. We love it when The Urchin is here. She usually takes Homer up to sleep with her in the Tinker Bell (guest) room. Us dogs used to not be allowed upstairs but now mom seems to have given up on attempting to enforce that rule. The Urchin doesn't mind getting down and dirty to play with us and scratch our bellies and stuff. Dad can also do the get down and dirty stuff but he has kinda lost the ability to then get up and do his bi-ped thing without making lots of loud and sometimes scary noises. Caitlin kinda just springs back up. She's very athletic, like a Tigger. The wonderful thing about Tiggers is that Tiggers are wonderful things. Their tops are made out rubber; their bottoms are made out of springs. They're bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy bouncy fun. The most wonderful things about Tiggers is that she's the only one.

MOGLEY GOT A MESSAGE FROM MARLO. Just yesterday, Freaky Friday, we posted an email that our blog buddy Mogley got from his friend Marlo who WAS in a foster home waiting to be adopted. Then Mogley got another email and here is what it said:

"Dear Mogley and Sassy: My foster sister Evelyn is helping me with this email tonight. My foster parents took me to an appointment earlier this evening. Guess what? I have a new forever home! I was introduced to these very nice people. They have a nice house with a fenced back yard and a little pond just for me! Well, I think the pond is for fish but it is still going to be mine. Their golden went to The Rainbow Bridge some time ago and they have been storing up a lot of pets, scritches and kisses. I can't wait to move in with them. They have a cat and thanks to Evelyn's advice I know to ignore it. They even have some tennis balls already! They are going to come pick me up as soon as they can get some necessities for me. I requested a soft bed and lots of toys. I am sure they are going to get them for me. They also said they need food and a leash and a few other things. Please tell my friend Sassy that I will miss her and I am sure she will find a good forever home here real soon. Evelyn says that there is someone out there for everyone of us and that GRRR is dedicated to making sure that the right dog goes to the right forever home. Thank you GRRR for helping me and Sassy. Hugs and kisses, Marlo"

Remember everybody, April is Adopt A Pet Month, so do what YOU can to help a homeless dog or cat find a new home. Volunteer or contribute to your local rescue organisations if you can't adopt a pet yourself.

- Jubal and The Bumpass Hounds and Kitties

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The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. - Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

FREAKY FRIDAY

Hey Hounders,
It me, Shiloh, a.k.a. the bag lady. We don't know why we named this post Freaky Friday but it has a nice ring to it. It has been a really gloomy spring so far; gray skies and water falling out of the sky: Rain. Max and I and J.E.B. and Shelby Belle and Abby have been spending a lot of time in the garage kennel in our crates. Jubal, Homer J., Jack and Sophie get to stay up in the house. Fortunately, dad puts us, me and Max, out in our pen if it isn't really raining. We've got a big house in the pen but we kinda like sitting on our wooden porches out in the rain. The weatherman guy on TV says it will still be raining today..YUK. But guess what? Tomorrow and Sunday we might not have any rain and it should be warmer. We need to dry out a little bit. The house is pretty muddy and mom's a little testy. Well, what do you expect when you've got 9 dogs coming and going in the paddock when it's raining all the time'
- Shiloh and The Bumpass Hounds and Kitties

MOGLEY GOT A MESSAGE FROM MARLO. Wednesday we did our April Fool's post and also had some information about Sassy, the new foster dog staying with our blog buddies Mogley and Bella. Well Mogley got a message from Marlo, the dog that was rescued with Sassy but is staying at a different foster home. Mogley received a message from Marlo, Sassy's step sister. Below is a photo of Marlo. Here is what Marlo wrote; "Hi, I am Marlo. I am a 7 month old female golden retriever. I came to GRRR with my friend Sassy. Sassy went to stay with Mogley the Blog dog and I got to come over to their friends house. I arrived here last night. I had already eaten my dinner before I arrived but they gave me a good snack when the others ate so I wouldn't feel left out. I am just 7 months old so the extra calories sure won't hurt me at this point. There are 3 Golden's here and they have all been very nice to me. We went outside in the back yard and my foster dad threw tennis balls for all of us. We each had our own to retrieve! I ran with the big dogs. Don't tell them but I am faster than they are. Evelyn the golden senior here, she came from GRRR too, has been showing me the ropes. I have to admit I was scared last night and she let me snuggle up to her on the carpet during TV time. That sure made me feel better. I am right as rain today. Nothing like a good night's sleep, great breakfast and a photo shoot to make a girl feel better. Below are a couple of pictures from this mornings shoot.
Evelyn told me that I shouldn't unpack my bag completely as she is sure I will be adopted very quickly. She also said that the resident cats are off limits and that is one of the most important rules here. I was wondering what those furry things were. I was sure interested but I haven't so much as touched one of them. I was a little worried about my friend Sassy last night but my foster mom told me that she is in very good hands. That made me feel better for sure. My foster mom said to let everyone know that I am OK on a leash, I know to sit when told, I seem to be housebroken (so far). I don't understand that dog door thing but I have only tried it once with help. I am not a wild child but am still a puppy so I need someone that will take the time to give me a guiding hand and teach me all the things that will make me a great dog. Well, I am tired now and like all little ones I need a nap. I will write more when I can. - Marlo G Retriever"

MARLO NEEDS A LOVING FUREVER HOME
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Most bad government has grown out of too much government. - Thomas Jefferson

HOW TO HUG A BABY

Hey Hounders,
It's Jenny and Boru today. We're back. Yesterday's title was just an April's fool joke; too bad huh? Did you know that Boru's nicknames are Bruiser, Bruissy, Booggers Boru, Catzilla and Lardo? His real registered name is Brian Boru Beau-Maine. Jenny's nicknames are Jen-Jen, Kitty Pie, Sweet Girl and Pretty Girl. Her non-registered name is Jenny.
We got the below article in an email making the rounds and decided to steal it and put our brand on it so we didn't have to think up a lot of stuff for today's post; it's like wordless Wednesday on Thursday. Feel free to steal it from us. - The Bumpass Hounds

THE BUMPASS HOUNDS

CANINE ILLUSTRATED INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPERLY HUGGING A BABY

1. First, spy a baby.

2. Second, be sure that the object you spied was indeed a baby by employing classic sniffing techniques --if you smell baby powder and the wonderful aroma of wet diapers this is, indeed, a baby.

3. Next you will need to flatten the baby before actually beginning the hugging process.**Note: The added slobber should help in future steps by making the 'paw slide' easier.**

4. The 'Paw Slide': Simply slide paws around baby and prepare for possible close-up.

5. Finally, if a camera is present, you will need to execute the difficult and patented 'Hug, Smile, and Lean' so as to achieve the best photo quality.

IF YOU ARE FROM ARKANSAS WE NEED YOUR HELP.
We're trying to get at least one guest book entry from each of the 50 United States and D.C. and one from as many different countries as we can. We'd appreciate you helping us out; leave a photo and your blog address if possible. It's been a very productive weekend. Thanks to Willow we now have Michigan. So as of 1 April 09 we still need the following 17 states: AR, HI, ID, LA, ME, MN, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OK, RI, SD, WV. If you're from one of these states, please sign our guest book. If you have a friend in one of these states could you please get them to visit us and sign our book.

We remember our friend Spencer everyday and we smile. Via con Dios Spencer

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A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government. - Thomas Jefferson

LAST EDITION THE BUMPASS HOUNDS BLOG

WE HAVE TO CLOSE UP SHOP

Heya Hounders,

It's all of us Bumpass Hounds with some very upsetting news. As you know, the economy has really gone down the septic tank worldwide. Our mom is unemployed and going to LVT school so she isn't bringing in lots of dough and dad, well dad is just about as feeble and old as Joey's dad. He still works but the dollars just don't go as far as they used to and we're all big eaters. Heck, Max, Shiloh and Boru could eat most humans out of house and home, in fact, they could eat most humans. We've tried cost cutting and other stringent measures like not feeding Sophie under the guise of having her on a diet. We tried renting our selves out as watch dogs but we usually get fired for sleeping on the job. We have tried everything we can think of but nothing seems to work. So we've decided to disband the pack and go our seperate ways in the world and try to find jobs as tramps or thieves (wasn't that a Cher song?) and send money back to poor old mom and dad so that they might get along in their old age. Since we'll be gone there won't be anyone here to publish our blog. Mom is too busy studying and dad used to be in the Navy so he's got a limited, and somewhat censored, vocabulary. So this is the last issue of The Bumpass Hounds Blog. Farewell to all you hounders from the pack.

- Homer J., Jubal, J.E.B., Sophie, Shelby Belle, Jack, Abby, Max, Shiloh, Alex, Boru and Jenny = The Bumpass Hounds (APRIL'S FOOLS!)

THIS IS NOT A JOKE.
Our blog buddies out in Colorado, Mogley and Bella, have a new foster girl living with them; her name is Sassy. They don't know much about her yet, but they do already know that she is a wonderful girl. She was hardly in their door when she grabbed a toy and offered to play with Mogley. Most foster dogs take a week or more before they are ready to play. The first few days they are still lost and looking for a friend. They Velcro themselves to the nearest human's leg and stay there until they feel more comfortable in the home. Not Sassy! At 4 years of age, she is still a playgirl. She is underfoot as much as she can be. She needs the comfort of a kind word and a lot of petting. Treats help too. Bella and Mogley, famous Bravo-Zulu Award Winners, get to share in the extra attention since they are all working together to make her feel at home. If you are at all interested in possibly helping Sassy find her new forever home, stop by Mogley's blog.

- The Bumpass Hounds

SASSY NEEDS A LOVING FOREVER HOME

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AH, COME ON. SOMEBPODY MUST BE FROM ARKANSAS OR KNOW SOMEBODY IN ARKANSAS.

We're trying to get at least one guest book entry from each of the 50 United States and D.C. and one from as many different countries as we can. We'd appreciate you helping us out; leave a photo and your blog address if possible. It's been a very productive weekend. Thanks to Willow we now have Michigan. So as of 29 March 09 we still need the following 17 states: AR, HI, ID, LA, ME, MN, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OK, RI, SD, WV. If you're from one of these states, please sign our guest book. If you have a friend in one of these states could you please get them to visit us and sign our book.

We remember our friend Spencer everyday and we smile. Via con Dios Spencer.

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Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases. - Thomas Jefferson