September/October 07
10.18.07
Happy birthday to me
On October 1st, I was five years old. I tried to do the math, translating dog years into people years, but then realized it didn’t really matter as I am, after all, a dog. For my birthday I always get a neat present – this time a cushy bed to nap in – and my person takes me to the dog park to look for new friends. This birthday I did some extra thinking about all the things I’ve learned over the years, and I’m proud to report that I, Bumby, at the mature age of five, now know:
- Not to poke my nose around a sleeping cat.
- What “no” means (when I was younger, I thought it was a nickname I had been given).
- Not to do the extra loud bark after midnight.
- Not to shred the newspaper till it’s at least a day old.
- Not to roll in the snow.
- Not to mess with Skeezix’s fuzzy mouse collection.
Along with my acquired knowledge, I’m also ‘in the know’ about some other really important things, such as how I can play an important part in helping take care of the Earth.
For example, my birthday present bed, from West Paw Design ®, is stuffed with recycled material and has an organically grown cotton cover. |
After a day of partying and playing, I'm ready for a nap. I'm not as much of a party animal as I was at 3.
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When I go traveling, my person always brings my water along in a reusable travel bottle, instead of buying plastic bottles of water. And, really important, by eating Pet Promise, I can reduce the number of antibiotics given to chickens and cattle and reduce the doses of artificial growth hormones given to cattle.
Because Pet Promise only uses natural pure meat and poultry, produced by family farmers who have made a commitment to sustainable agriculture (including no added antibiotics or hormones), I’m able to make a difference every time I eat dinner.
I could tell you more, but my new bed is looking like a really nice place to take a nap right now. Talk later.
Posted by Bumby at 2:20 pm
9.26.07
Helping to keep 'em down on the farm
With fall arriving, I'll soon be taking my second annual trip to some family farms here in New Jersey to select a pumpkin and some other fall treats. Personally, I like to know where my food comes from, and supporting our local family farmers is a good way to do that, as well as making me feel that I'm doing something important.
If any of you got to attend the Farm Aid concert in New York this year, you know what I mean. Farm Aid fights to keep family farmers on their land growing food for us. Keeping family farms in business is vital to the well-being of the environment. Family farms have also played an important role in the history of the United States.
My cats and I help family farms every day by just eating Pet Promise, which helps support more than 1,500 family farmers and ranchers across the United States.
Because of that, the company knows where the ingredients it uses come from -- and that no added antibiotics or growth hormones were used in the meat and poultry protein sources that I and my friends enjoy every day.
For those of you who like numbers, here's what that means: Since 2005, Pet Promise has helped eliminate 88 million doses of antibiotics in the food chain, and 15 million doses of artificial growth hormones fed to cattle. That's big!
I'm proud to be a "spokesdog" for such an important mission. |
This is Striper, my neighbor cat. By eating Pet Promise, this one cat alone is reducing the number of antibiotics fed to chickens each year by more than 1,000 doses.
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I could tell you more, but I can hear my Pet Promise being poured into my bowl, so I guess it's suppertime.Talk later.
posted by Bumby at 6:30 pm
9.16.07
Portrait of the artist as a young bichon
There’s nothing like a perfect blue-sky summer day to bring out your creative musings. Until recently, it had never occurred to me that I might have artistic abilities. I have heard about dogs that paint, including a rather famous Jack Russell terrier (whose paintings have sold for several thousand dollars), but I had never taken a paw to canvas before.
That is, until my person happened to spot an article about “paw painting” taking place at a beach community near where I live to help benefit an organization called “11th Hour Rescue.”
Before you could say “Monet,” there I was, right in the middle of canine expressionism at its finest. The folks at Paws at the Beach, in Beach Haven, New Jersey had set up a wire enclosure outside their store for creative canines to create their own animal-abstract view of things.
I first contemplated the blank canvas for inspiration. It was a little distracting with everyone watching, but I just put paw in paint and started.
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I guess I'm not a "south paw," as I did most of my painting and color mixing with my right paw.
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Here I am, "mixing" the paints on my palette. I've heard that some dogs can actually hold a brush in their mouth, but this method worked just fine for me.
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Here I am contemplating my finished masterpiece (see the close- up below).
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It was immensely satisfying to see how my creative impulses blossomed onto that canvas. I’m really quite proud of the finished results and, apparently, so is my person, as she’s promised to frame my art and hang it in the living room. I’m hoping to paint more; once the artistic muse strikes you, it’s hard to ignore.
Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, those paints were non-toxic and washed right off my paws. |
My abstract creation, called, "Beach Haven Sunset." Note my signature paw print on the right side. |
I could tell you more, but I see Nikko coming around the block, and I’m hoping he’ll come over so I can show off my artistry. Talk later.
Posted by Bumby at 6:50 pm |
