Finally Friday or The Last Friday of 2010

We are all anticipating the new year and with that brings the resolutions that go with it. Like most folks, Ozzie's number one resolution for 2011 is to lose weight! Yes the daunting task of taming his taste buds seems next to impossible. We may be willing to try a medication that the vet has suggested. It's a diet pill for dogs sort of. It some how triggers some receptors in the small intestine that sends signals to the brain that they are full. I just hope they are pretty strong signals! Ozzie hasn't gained more weight this year but he hasn't lost any so we need to try something different! Ozzie is staying home with Grandpa tonight to ring in the New Year. We are going out to eat at an Argentine steakhouse with some friends. They make the most delicious skirt steak. We should bring some home in a doggie bag for Ozzie. Oops there I go again. Well maybe this will be his last treat before we start the diet thing! Looking forward to 2011 and wishing all a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year!

"I'll have a little salt on my snow please!"

Our neighborhood is covered with the white stuff from the Holiday Blizzard over this past weekend. We accumulated at least 20 inches out there of back breaking snow! I wouldn't have minded a little bit of snow just to make things more festive ...but really now! Mother Nature out did herself! Today the wind has calmed down some what and the sun is trying to do its best to peer out behind the clouds. Ozzie has adjusted to the new outdoor scenery! My husband dug his little pathway so he can get out there and do his business! Even more exciting for Ozzie is the tasty side dish that the snow offers. The yard is one giant snow cone and he is doing his best to consume it! At least it is zero calories! I am starting to see some black top on our street so I am hopeful to get out this afternoon. Nothing worse than cabin fever, which Ozzie doesn't seem to mind. It justifies his long winter naps! Right Ozzie? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ !

Finally Friday or a.k.a Christmas Eve

All the shopping is done....I think?! If I forgot anything at this moment in time oh well! I will have to improvise! Ozzie is a bit of a Grinch this season. I could not get him to wear the Santa helpers hat. He resists anything put on his head! In the meanwhile my husband told me the three Kings from the Orient had visited our back yard this morning. They left three presents! No it wasn't gold. myrrh or frankincense! It looked more like dog poop! Sigh! I baked doggie cookies along with my other baking this week. Ozzie thought they tasted pretty good. Then again crayons would taste good to Ozzie. They were peanut butter and carob chips cookies. Carob chips are from a plant and are sweet. They are a replacement for chocolate chips which dogs of course cannot have. They even look like dark chocolate chips! Time to get moving and finish up my wrapping and prepare for the big day!
From our family to yours a very Merry Christmas! Right Ozzie?! "Arf "!

Early Christmas?

Yesterday I was returning home with some of my Christmas purchases when you know who started nosing about in them! He managed to zero in on the bag from Petco somehow? ( Do toys have a meat scent on them or can Ozzie read the bag?) I weakened and gave in to that smush face if his. He really likes it and has been playing with it quite a bit. It's some kind of elongated doggie with a rope belly. It will keep him busy until the big day when Santa gets here with all the loot!
l still have have to finish up my present shopping and concentrate on the food shopping. In the meanwhile Ozzie will have some fun with his new toy and will dream of "visions of bully sticks dancing in his head"?!

Finally Friday!

We are down to the wire with the Christmas shopping! I think I have most of it done?! The problem is I am still waiting for presents I ordered on line. I hope they make it here on time. The extra bedroom is littered with shopping bags filled with items that by now are a mystery. I guess I better go through them and start the dreaded wrapping process. If I could train Ozzie to wrap gifts I would. Though without thumbs it would be difficult. Ozzie just loves the empty cardboard roll from the wrapping paper. He walks around with it sticking out of his mouth for a moment or two then he chews it to shreds! We are going into the city this weekend to see the tree again. Though we went in with another group of friends a couple of weeks ago I can never get enough of the city during the holidays! Ozzie is looking forward to the pending snow that is suppose to hit the NY metro area this Sunday. It shouldn't be much just a few inches but enough to turn the backyard into one giant snow cone! Yummo! Until then everyone stay warm and finish that shopping! Ozzie will wait here for Santa!

Clean Sweep!

Too cold for me today! Wind chills made it in the single digits out there! Brrr! So I stayed in and attempted to clean the house this afternoon. Ozzie wasn't too thrilled when I disturbed his nap to vacuum the couch. My cat use to run for the hills when I took out the old Hoover! Not Ozzie!
He has no fear of it at all. In matter of fact I thought I heard him mutter "Bring it on you stinking vacuum you!"

Finally Friday!

"Yeah it ain't a bad gig!"

Well the Christmas madness is in full swing and I have barely gotten started. My dreams of making my own Christmas cards with Ozzie on them went down the tubes due to my lack of ambition to get them done! I did find a cute box of cards with a jolly bulldog holding a candy cane in his mouth and Santa hat on his adorable head! It kinda looks like Oz. Good enough for this year! I have started some of my shopping but as usual the season has caught me woefully behind. That little alarm should go off in my head around Thanksgiving time to get moving on the shopping ...it must be broke! Saturday we are going to see our friend Fred in an off, off, off Broadway play of "It's a Wonderful Life". He has the part of Uncle Billy which he has played before. He does a great Uncle Billy! Speaking of its a wonderful life, Ozzie has had his breakfast, done his business in the yard and is now sleeping soundly on the couch. "Yes Ozzie, it really is a wonderful life!"

Ozzie: Naughty or Nice?

We had our picture taken with Santa Paws on Saturday. Ozzie was more than delighted to have the opportunity to tell Santa all the thing that he wants for Christmas! Though most of those thing had to do with food! Ozzie, I don't think Santa carries around Porterhouse steaks in his sack!

Finally Friday!

Well we reached the end of another week. I still have this awful cold that refuses to leave my system. It has prevented me from getting all the Christmas decorations up and going. My neighbors have put us to shame with their displays of colored lights and mechanical reindeer. We are woefully still entertaining last season with a half eaten pumpkin and a scarecrow desperately clinging to the porch railing. Ozzie could care less. Its not about the decor for him. Its all about the food and squeaky toys!
Its been a bit chilly for the last couple of days here in Jersey and Ozzie has hunkered down on the couch for his long winter nap. Not really caring about the outdoors so much.
Meanwhile I had unwittingly volunteered to make cookies for a Christmas party that our ski club is hosting this weekend. As I stare at the sticks of butter laying on the counter I ask myself why did I open my big mouth?! Baking is the last thing I feel like doing with my sinuses playing their own version of Jingle Bells in my forehead! Move over Oz I feel a winter nap coming on!




For those who may feel more inclined to bake this weekend I will share with you the recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies:


Preheat oven to 375

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 6 ounce pkg of Craisins
2/3 cup of white chocolate chunks or chips

Using electric mixer beat butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in Craisins and white chocolate.
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
Note to Ozzie: for human consumption only!

Thanksgiving and Beyond

Gag that was bad, sorry!

Still trying to recover from Thanksgiving! After all the cooking and festivities I came down with the worst cold which is still ( pardon the pun ) dogging me today! Ozzie seems a bit sluggish too! I tried monitoring his intake on the holiday but I think some well meaning family and friends gave in to Ozzie's "mush face". You know the pose where he rests his face on your knee and gazes lovingly into your eyes! You just gotta give him something off your plate?! The reason I believe this occurred is that I have been victimized by the worst bulldog gas ever! I have been bombarded by it at all times of the day. The other night as we all lay asleep I was awakened by the most noxious fumes that sent me running to open a window! Well onto the Christmas season! Time to sort through miles of tangled Xmas lights and face the challenging parking lots at the mall! In all the craziness there are some quieter moments that I look forward to, like baking cookies and wrapping gifts and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on TV. Happily at my side Ozzie snores blissfully on the couch while dreams of sugarplums ( maybe bullysticks ) dance in his head! Achoo! Let me go and find the tissues and phew...get out of the room that has suddenly filled with a thick fog!

Talking Turkey with Ozzie

" Turkey roasting on an open fire....buttered rolls nipping at my nose!" "Ah turkey....yumo!" ZZZZZZZZZ



Ozzie is patiently awaiting Thanksgiving day. He knows that something good is coming his way...food wise that is! I have bought my fresh turkey and all the trimmings...I think?! I am sure that there is something I forgot and I feel reassured that the grocery store is open Thanksgiving morning for knuckleheads like me! Though there will plenty of food, drink and merriment on Thursday there is also some dangerous doggie pitfalls to recognize. As much as you and your guests are tempted to give into that adorable pooch and feed him some turkey there are some things you should be aware of. That delicious crispy flavorful turkey skin that we all love is very fatty and can cause pancreatitis in dogs. Canine pancreatitis can produce severe diarrhea and vomiting which can cause dehydration! Dark turkey meat should be avoided as well since it is hard to digest. Turkey bones are a no no since they can cause a blockage or perforation of the intestine. There are also cooking accessories of the day that present dangers such as pop up timers, roasting bags, skewers etc.. Now that I have taken all the fun out of the day for Fido let me say there are some alternative goodies. The white meat from the turkey is fine for them and if you like you can prepare Ozzie's ground turkey with butternut squash and cranberries the day before. Whatever you do I hope that it will be a day celebrated with great food, family and friends...oh and of course with man's best friend!

Finally Friday!

Thoughts of turkey and stuffing are in Ozzie's head today and mine as well! I have my shopping list for the big day and have already purchased some non perishables at the store. I have hosted Thanksgiving for several years and you would think I have it down pat by now! After all its a holiday with a pre existing menu! I still manage to fudge something up or make something that I totally forget about until I find it in the garage refrigerator the next day! Last year we cooked two turkeys on the rotisserie grill outside. The birds proved to be a bit too heavy and they caught on fire! Oh well the company makes up for what the meal lacks anyways! I have a holiday meal for Ozzie that I have already previewed to him. It is a dish of turkey, butternut squash and cranberries. All very tasty and fill of "fido-nutrients"! Here it is if you like to give it a whirl with your pooch.
Peel and chop 1 medium size butternut squash into 1 inch cubes ( I know, not fun! ) Place on lined cookie sheet and drizzle some EVOO or canola oil on top. Put into preheated oven of 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until cooked through.
Meanwhile take a pound of ground turkey and brown it in a skillet with a little EVOO until all the pink is gone. Drain on paper towel. Let both the butternut squash and turkey cool completely. This should be enough for a few meals since I mix this in with his kibble. Add appropriate amount of turkey and butternut squash mix to kibble and then sprinkle with some dried cranberries. ( note: do not replace dried cranberries with raisins ..which are dangerous to dogs. Though I believe most dog owners know this! )
Ozzie just loves it! Well there isn't too much that Ozzie doesn't love! Have a wonderful weekend and as Ozzie would say "Bone Appetito" !

Don't Fence Me In!

We have come up with a temporary solution for our hound Houdini who has been doing disappearing acts from the back yard. It is a crude structure of sorts but it works for now! Ozzie approached it yesterday and declared defeat. He then squirmed his way underneath the deck in rebellion I suppose!? Looks like we will have to fence that off as well. He is not a narrow boy and has to crawl commando style to get under there as it is! I wouldn't want to have to call the Fire Department to get him out from down under if Sir Chunky became stuck! Not like that hasn't happened before. I do recall the cat door at Ed and Marilyn's house. So it's a fair possibility! Oh Ozzie..............

Finally Friday

We are looking forward to a beautiful weekend here and will savor probably one of the last really nice stretches of balmy weather. Ozzie decided to start his weekend romping early with a tour around the house this morning. He ran ( well maybe briskly walked ) to the front of the house where he was in time to greet our neighbor Al bringing in his morning coffee from Seven- Eleven. As usual Ozzie ignored my pleas to get in the house and decided to plop himself on the front walk. That is when the Golden Retriever from down the street was taking her morning walk her human Dad. She was directly across the road from our house when Ozzie decided to make a mad dash for her. Yikes! I am thankful there wasn't a car in sight at that moment. I guess his mating instinct was triggered somehow?! Well she is a looker! I have learned some lessons from today. One, is we need a gate on the side of our yard so our little prisoner cannot escape! ( I have known this for some time. It has fallen on deaf ears in my house!) Two, he needs to have his collar on at all times so I can wrangle him into the house! ( Though he is pretty crafty at escaping his collar ) Three, obedience school is not a bad idea! Ozzie is currently taking his morning nap after all his exhausting sunrise hi jinks! I guess when he wakes up it will be time to play with his new toy, Senor Frog. Once anything is a week old he will tire of it and it ends up in the bucket with the rest of his retired toys. So it will be adios froggie very soon! Speaking of adios Ozzie wishes you all a great weekend after he has had his morning siesta!

Finally Friday!

Ozzie and his napping buddy!

Rainy days and Mondays always get Ozzie down! One good thing is that its Friday not Monday! The highlight of Ozzie's pass two days have been breakfast, lunch and dinner! The weather is suppose to be sunny and cool this weekend so we may be able to get outside and get some fresh air! Enjoy your weekend all!

Halloween Aftermath

Ozzie is still exhausted from Sunday's Halloween whirlwind! We must of had over 100 trick or treaters and the Oz greeted everyone of them! He was reluctant to put any costume on so he went "au naturale"! He was showered with all kinds of adoration from kids and parents alike! What an ego trip for him! He keep insisting to go next door by our neighbors Al and Claire and attempting to get in their house. You think they had a stash of dog biscuits or something in there! Any ways it's going to take hours of power naps to get back on track for Ozzie. Thank goodness Halloween only comes once a year!

Finally Friday

"Grrr, no gets past me..unless they have a dog biscuit!"

I can say I am a wee bit tired this morning. Ozzie decided to give himself a manicure at two o'clock in the morning. The paw licking went on relentlessly and the noise was deafening! I should record the sound that he makes while doing this personal hygiene routine. It is really creepy! Then I could submit it for special effects on the next Night of the Living Dead sequel!
Speaking of Halloween there is still no costume on deck for the Oz, so it looks like he will be wearing the cape again! Unless he loses 10 pounds by Sunday then he can fit into his Petsmart costume.
It seems like the neighborhood ahem....should I say "dear sweet children" are in the spirit of things already. They ripped down my lady scarecrow that was hooked to my tree in the front of the house then tossed her in the gutter without any mercy what so ever. As my husband walked up to the bus stop this morning he noticed the pole with only the head attached laying in the street . He thought the face looked familiar but couldn't place it. That is when the garbage men came along on their usual Friday morning route and threw it unceremoniously in the back of their truck! What a way to go! Meanwhile my man scarecrow is in mourning and I am on the hunt for the little juveniles who committed the crime. I realize I will never know who the real culprits are but it gives me delight in dreaming up revenge scenarios of squirting the little louses with the power washer! Did I mention that Bulldogs make terrible guard dogs?! Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

I'm Walking Yes Indeed!

The weather has been quite pleasant of late in Northern New Jersey with mild temps in the upper 60's, low 70'S! Trying to take advantage of these balmy days we have been taking Ozzie for walks. Yes it's not his most favorite activity. Then again what activity is his favorite?! Oh yeah napping.....anyway we have been working him! We have Oz up to a whole 2 blocks! Once we drag his reluctant bulldog body off the porch he seems to enjoy the walk. I am hoping he will find his inner athletic self. Who knows, maybe he will lose enough weight to fit into his Petsmart Halloween costume?! Naaaa!

Haunted for a Costume

Halloween 2009

Halloween is around the corner and we are still without a costume for Ozzie. I was at Petsmart the other day and they had a 50 % off all pet costumes. I found the only XXL costume they had left! It was a tiger outfit..... I think. I was all excited over it. It looked like it might actually fit! I brought it home and attempted to try it on the Oz. Well he was less than excited by this fantastic find! There was a Velcro strap that goes around the collar of the outfit and as I struggled to get it around his big bully neck I soon realized this wasn't cutting it! On Ozzie his neck is one of his most lets say prominent features. He has the girth of a Sumo wrestler! Back to the drawing board I guess. Or I could always resort to his pirate cape he wore last year. He seemed to tolerate it and I got the feeling he felt very dapper in it! Or maybe I could find a pumpkin hat and say that he is a bulldog jack-o-lantern?! Quite frankly I don't think Ozzie cares. As long as he gets petted by every kid that comes to the door he will enjoy Halloween costume or not!

Who's the Boss?

Never did we think that when Ozzie came to live with us that we would be the unwitting servants to a bulldog. Well perhaps not that unwitting! Certainly he has the run of the house. We enjoy his daily antics and expressive bully face. He does get into occasional trouble but I suppose nothing too bad to over come. Today may be one of those "trouble"days. Ozzie decided to wake up my husband and I at 3:30 AM. While trying to ignore his pacing in our bedroom, Ozzie just got more demanding. We could hear a low pitched growl as we both ducked underneath the covers. I guess he wasn't going to give it up so I got out of bed. "Come on Oz, I guess you got to go huh?" Sure enough once he was in the yard he dutifully did his number 1 & 2 ! I really don't want this to be a habit but I suppose if you gotta go you gotta go! We all fell back to sleep eventually only to be smacked over the head by the blaring of the alarm clock at 5:00 AM. I refused to budge but my poor husband had no choice in the matter. As he was just about ready to leave I got up out of bed to be greeted by the midnight marauder. He was hungry and ready for another round in the back yard. I went downstairs and fed his royal highness. As we were in the back yard the sound of the garbage trucks intrigued him and started to walk to the front of the house. "Ozzie get back here!" I cried to no avail. I followed him to the front porch and demanded him to turn around. He stared at me blankly as "Blah blah blah!" Came pouring out of my mouth. I rang the door bell hoping that my husband had not left yet and would get me out of this predicament. "What are you doing out here?" he asked as he came to the door. "Oz decided he wanted to go for a little walk" I replied, "What else?!" With that Ozzie bounced through the front door and preceded to the couch where he plopped himself and began to lick his paws in a fury! "Ozzie you are a piece of work do you know that!?" and then I thought if he could talk at this moment I would hear him say "You are not the boss of me!"

Finally Friday

Its been a tough week for the Oz! He is looking forward to relaxing over the weekend...well, maybe in a more relaxing way than during his weekly relaxing.

Uga VIII has Arrived!

So there is a new kid in town! At least in the University of Georgia there is. The new Uga has been selected. His name is Big Bad Bruce and his coming out will be this Saturday at the homecoming game against Vanderbilt in Athens. He is the grandson of Uga VI and is 13 months old weighing in at 55 pounds. Big Bad is all set to carry on the tradition of his forefathers. Frank "Sonny" Seiler's family has owned and breed the Georgia mascots for the last 50 years. "We had several puppies that were direct descents from the Uga line to choose from," said Seiler. "We came to the conclusion that this dog had all the physical attributes that we look for in a Georgia mascot." The interim bulldog Russ who has been fulling in so far this season will be able to move on and do other things. Perhaps dog food commercials. Who knows!? At least he can return to the comfort of his own couch on Saturday afternoons. Good luck to Bruce. Go get em boy!

Wordless Wednesday

Hm.... after this I may get down off the couch and shed on the rug! So much to do so little time!

Holy Dog!

We attended the Blessing of the Animals at Corpus Christi Church on Saturday. Ozzie was really excited to get blessed! It was a beautiful day for the event which was outdoors in the church parking lot. Unfortunately Ozzie left a bit of water (definitely not of the Holy origin ) of his own while the Priest was conducting the Mass. I blame his Pop who did not have tighter reign on his leash. Other than that mild embarrassment all went according to plan. Our pets are truly a blessing to have!

Hot Diggity Salty Dog!

I have been away for a week in Florida so there was unfortunately no time for the blog! Ozzie was very happy to see me upon my return and of course I had to bring home many gifts for him to excuse my absence! I am always sick with worry when I leave him. Not that his care is less than top notch while I am away. He had his Pop and Grandpa doggie sitting him! I just worry that he thinks I abandoned him for some reason! All is forgotten though once I walk in that door!
While I was down there we went to a restaurant in Sarasota called The Old Salty Dog. Our friends and I had seen an episode of Man Vs. Food where Adam Richman the host, was sampling some of Sarasota's finest cuisine and happened upon this place. It is the home of the foot long Salty Dog that is deep fried in a beer batter coating and loaded up with cheese, bacon, sauerkraut...well you get the picture . I am sure it goes for about 1000 calories easily and would raise your cholesterol about 200 points! The real reason I wanted to go was for its mascot. Yup you got it! It's a bulldog. I couldn't help but resist to buy the T-shirt and the hat! Hey any place that has a picture of a bulldog on their menu has my business! Other than that I am settled in and trying to figure what Ozzie could be for Halloween. Hmm maybe a Salty Dog costume! He already has the figure for it. I would just have to top him off with some bacon and cheese! Though he would be trying to eat his costume the whole time. Oh well I will keep giving it some thought!

Fire in the Hole!

Ozzie had a great weekend. He had a moment with a buffalo tendon treat that was bitter sweet. It was wonderfully stinky and Ozzie was looking forward to savoring it. Something came over him though and he couldn't help himself! He swallowed the thing whole! I thought for a moment he buried it somewhere. How did it disappear so fast?! The next thing I knew it came shooting out of his mouth across the deck. "Incoming!" Eww! Oh well easy come easy go?!

Finally Friday!

Ozzie can't wait to have some play time with his Pop! Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Wordless Wednesday, Almost!

Children are for people who can't have dogs. ~Author Unknown

Man's Best Friend Week

I just found out that the 4th week in September is National Dog Week. A time to honor man's best friend! Though I am totally unprepared for this I will try to find some impromptu ways to celebrate! In matter of fact I am taking Ozzie for his bath at Petsmart today. That can be one of the ways I can celebrate with Ozzie his wonderful canine virtues! Actually its more like a public service. Ozzie is smelling pretty gamy of late!
We were informed by one of Ozzie's doggy pals Lola, that there is a special contest opened to all dogs. It is sponsored by another pup pal Twinkie the Chihuahua. Its the "Show us your Tongue" contest. It's a tongue in cheek way to celebrate dogs! I have the perfect picture of Oz licking his chops that I will enter. I don't know if its a winner or not but it does illustrate how Ozzie gets every last morsel out of his food dish!

Ruby...a Diamond in the Ruff!

Ruby ( on your right ) enjoying the lake.

We adopted Ozzie, as you may already know, from the Mid-Atlantic Bulldog Rescue. They are a group of wonderful folks that really love and care for the well being of Bulldogs. A year ago we went out to Pennsylvania from Northern New Jersey to get Ozzie from his foster family. That is when we had the pleasure to meet Monty and Patrick who are involved with the rescue efforts of MABDR. They offer up their lovely home to foster dogs while they wait for their forever home! They have a pack of dogs of their own to contend with. One of them who they personally adopted is Ruby an English Bulldog. Lets say she is a bit temperamental! She had a rough puppy-hood and they were brave and patient enough to work with her. She may still be a bit of a princess but has come a long way. Ozzie confided to me that she was personally very nice to him during his short stay ( when no one was looking of course! ) Attached is an article on Monty , Patrick and Ruby that you may want to peruse and if you want to find out more about the Mid-Atlantic Bulldog Rescue just click on their logo found on this blog. Meanwhile back at the ranch, Ozzie is mentally preparing for his scheduled bath at Petsmart tomorrow by taking a morning nap. To be followed by his afternoon nap. I'll let you in on the action ( or lack there of ) tomorrow!
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/entertainment/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1283054708302460.xml&coll=3

Food for Thought!

Ozzie is now eating Nutro Natural Dog Food(dry) Lite. He seems to do well on it. He has the most wonderful poos lately! Always a good thing like Martha says! ( I bet you wont' find Martha picking up land mines ) It is wheat free, all natural and has added vitamins and minerals. I contend wheat is the culprit that has caused some of his gastric and skin issues in the past. I find myself switching dog foods quite a bit lately. Mostly due to his weight. I guess I am trying to find the perfect dog diet food! I suppose the greatest factor in dieting, dog or human is portion control. Though he did lose a pound or so at his last weigh in. From behind Ozzie is not looking too bad. Cute bulldog butt Oz!



Interesting reading on to stay or switch when it comes to pet food:

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2010/sept/pet_food_switch_2

Just Face It!

Another trip to the vet to recheck a case of Pyoderma on Ozzie's face. A few weeks ago I noticed that the wrinkles around his mouth became stained with a reddish brown gunk. It didn't have much of a smell to it but looked nasty. I washed it constantly and it refused to go away. That is when we went to the vet to discover it was a bacterial infection. We were given an oral antibiotic and some medicated face wipes. Oh yes he had a bit of an infection in his right ear! Yikes! Poor Oz! So yesterday we returned for our recheck. A swab of the infected area showed that it was almost gone, but a few rods of this bacteria were hanging in there. So Ozzie is on his second round of antibiotics! He does look a lot better though and the Dr. Tracey did indicate that seasonal flora and fauna do not help this condition. It doesn't help my wallet either! Oh well Ozzie we love you and I don't need to get my hair colored and cut next week any ways!

9/11 Remembered

A day to reflect and honor those that passed away on that fateful morning 9 years ago. Living right across the river I saw first hand the horrors of that morning. We have learned that we must always be vigilant and I our world will never be the same as it was before that day. God bless the families of those murdered by terrorist whose twisted minds sought to destroy us and our spirit. They must carry on and we as a nation must never forget!