Happy Thanksgiving

Today I am thankful for YOU! Without you I wouldn't get to visit interesting places, meet wonderful people, educate new friends, and increase awareness about important pittie issues.

I am thankful for companies that fuel my crazy dog mom spending sprees. Who doesn't want a pillow of their favorite pooch?

I am thankful for good press.

I am thankful for humor.

I am thankful for dogs that make me proud of my breed.

I am thankful for pet therapy.

I am thankful for creativity.

I am thankful for those who show support and love for all.

I am thankful for crazy dog moms and dads who make life so much fun.

I am thankful for search parties, social media, and organizations that bring lost family members home.

I am thankful for seconds, minutes, and hours. It takes seconds to help spread the word about dogs in need, minutes to donate and save a life, and it takes some incredible volunteers and vets hours to transport, heal, care for and become heros.

I am thankful for celebrities that use their influence to for good.

I am thankful for good news, it doesn't come often enough.

I am thankful for organizations like Nashville PITTIE for all the hard work and education they provide our community.

I am thankful for smiling faces.

I am thankful for artists and the inspiration they create. Want to see some amazing art from Amiee Stubbs? Need a holiday gift for your favorite dog lover? Check this out.

I am thankful for forgiveness. 

I am thankful for education, no matter how hard it is to hear.

I am thankful for volunteers and the hay and warmth they provide.

I am thankful and grateful for those who take on fostering, it's hard but it's oh so worth it.

I am thankful for those who have the courage to speak up against wrongs.

I am thankful for collaboration, especially those that combine dance and pitties.

I am thankful for colorblind, endless, knows no limits love.

I am thankful for change.

I am thankful for news organizations that allow us the opportunity to share our stories.

I am thankful for Hope.

I am thankful for our veterans, those with 2 legs or 4.

I am thankful for adopters who open their homes and hearts to welcome new family members.

I am thankful for memories, painful at times but also oh so sweet.

I am thankful for a warm bed.

I am thankful for good movies.

I am thankful for education, especially when it leads to deep thinking and increased safety of our kids.

 I am thankful for responsible media organizations like the Huffington Post which continues to share important pit bull stats and run positive pit bull stories.

I am thankful for cities and states that look at the facts and repeal laws that target pits.

There is so much to be thankful for this year, what are you thankful for?

Introducing the Fall Flat Stouie

Reading In The Schools Day 2013

What a fun trip to Discovery School to celebrate Reading In The Schools Day!
Did you participate this year? What was your favorite reader?

Welcome inflatable Stouie!

So handsome.

Reading with Kindergarten. 

Night all, that was one exhausting day.

A little message from Flat Stouie

And Discovery School:

Inflatable Stouie Visits Discovery School!

Discovery School was so excited to have the real Stouie visit school last week. First we had a party to celebrate those students who turned in a Flat Stouie project and then we got to visit classrooms to read our favorite books.

The Flat Stouie Projects

He went a lot of places

The party favors.

Love them.

The first of many snuggles.

Getting some love.

That feels so good.

Space Adventures

What a wonderful summer I had with the Smith family.

At Sea World!

Visiting Atlantis space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center

They might be angry birds, but I am a happy pup.

Do they make helmets that will fit over this smile?

What did you do with Flat Stouie this summer?

Flat Stouie becomes a pilot

More summer fun

Where did you take Flat Stouie this summer?

Remember safety first.

Summer Adventures with Stouie

This summer I got to take some amazing adventures with the students of Discovery School and their friends and families. I can't wait to share all of them.

Thanks to one very special family I got to travel across the globe and see some breathtaking landmarks that most dogs will never have the honor of seeing. Not only did I see amazing things, but thanks to these extraordinary students I learned many new things about each country I got to visit.

These super stars really went above and beyond in their project and I just had to share first:

Sale!

The original Flat Stouie packets are on sale today so get one while you can.

Rovering Around

Today I was traveling around and I saw the Rover. Did you know that pets are NOT allowed on the Rover? It's a shame. I wish they had a pet friendly rover that would allow pet owners to transport their pet to local vets, the dog park, Petsmart, etc. What do you think, should there be a designated pet-friendly Rover?

Spying Seals

When one of the students (EK) of Discovery School sent me to visit her Uncle Tom, I never knew I would have QUITE this much fun.

We went to Great Point Lighthouse on Nantucket, Massachusetts.  You should Google Map it to see exactly where it is!  It was a pretty amazing (and long) trip.

 

The trip started this morning with an 8 mile bike ride to where the road ends near the north side of Nantucket.  You have to get off your bike or out of your car there.  Only certain vehicles with certain permits can drive on the sand.  Even then, you have to let almost all the air out of your tires to do it!!  It is funny to watch trucks driving around the dunes with flat tires :)

 

Once you are walking on the sand, it's about a 5-mile trek out to the lighthouse.  Yeah, it's far.  But it is one of the most interesting 5 miles I have ever walked.  You walk through some wooded areas where trees only grow maybe twice as tall as I am! (That's not very tall for a tree)  And there are some ponds around which means that there are a lot of mosquitoes!  Then, you walk 2 or 3 miles along the beach, which is actually easier than walking in the loose sand.  The ocean water was clear and gorgeous. Have you ever been to the beach? 

 

I found all kinds of things on the beach today.  We found horseshoe crab shells (carapaces), slipper shells, moon snail shells, and some very protective seagulls!  The birds are all laying their eggs now... I had several close calls with some angry gulls.  Oh, and we found some seals!  The seals watched us eat lunch on the beach.  They are so curious and fun to be around!

 

And of course, we saw Great Point lighthouse.  It is quite a ways out there, but still helps ships navigate waters close to Massachusetts.  Today, the lighthouse is completely solar powered and maintained by the US Coast Guard.  It was very interesting to read about, not to mention very pretty to look at :)

 

I told you I had fun! What was your favorite summer spot to visit and are pitties allowed there?

________________

A special thanks to Tom Calvert-Rosenberger for sharing this adventure!

More fun in Minnesota.

Staying in Minnesota a while and having fun! Ruby told me something special is coming up a month from today and the family would like me to attend. In the meantime, we went to some kind of weekly summer festival last night. It was like a farmers market with good things to eat, a carnival with junky things to eat, live music and people selling things they make.

I would not feel well if I ate all this stuff!

We got to the Farmer's Market pretty early so people just started to arrive. Lots of stuff for sale.

Enjoying the slide. Do your local parks allow pits?

Got to spend some time with "Sugar." She is on the cover of the new book with Ruby.

The "Key" to Happiness

Off to Key West for some summer fun and to celebrate Jill's birthday. Yay!!

Waiting at the airport with the birthday girl.

I love looking out the windows. I wish all dogs could fly up top.

Look at that view. 

Are you going anywhere fun this summer? Check out this blog for pet friendly places to stay in Key West, I highly suggest it =)

Getting ready to chow down at Hard Rock Cafe. What's your favorite dog friendly spot to eat?