Great Pumpkin celebrating Hallowine

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

Mywoofself met a strange Halloween pumpkin fella who got lost leaving vineyard. Himself smells like wine . . . Hallowine.

Wondering howl da Great Pumpkin got good taste in wine. Look, his big orange self has bottle of Joseph Swan Russian River Valley Gewürztraminer and also bottle of Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel.

Now ere is a really pawsonal question for Great Pumpkin: Wot keeps da wine from pouring out da holes?

Even scarier question: Wot was mywoofself thinking, talking to a pumpkin? BOL!

Disaster preparedness is 4 everybuddy

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

Every September is "National Preparedness Month" in the U.S.

This is definition of basic preparedness: Being able to be on your own for at least 72 hours during/after a disaster.

Being prepared requires that each of us four-legged and two-legged family members, including finned and feathered friends, has enough supplies to either shelter-in-place or evacuate and survive for three days. And being prepared requires having a realistic evacuation plan.

In September, Mum gives our disaster Go-Bags the annual makeover and Go-Packs the semi-annual makeover. "Go-Packs" are our small packs, often just a Ziploc bag containing pet or people supplies like supplements, meds, and frozen foods. They are stored in different locations like fridge, freezer, Go-Bag, or car. 

Mum does also review evacuation scenarios and make us do practice drills. Herself marked up some new maps covering Pacific coast, mountains, and valleys where we often travel these days.

Meezer did enjoy sticking her nose in Go-Bags and doing drills, taking rides in the car in her carrier.

Meezer meows that everybuddy should have a prawpurr evac carrier.

This is a prawpurr kitteh evac carrier? BOL!

Certainly not. But it makes as much sense as some of the crazzy pet preparedness info we read.

Disaster preparedness is for everybuddy -- people and pets, horses and farm animals, big cats and other wild animals who live in captivity. Yet much of the pet preparedness info is mediocre at best and sometimes even dead WRONG. 

Consider this advice: A certain Southern Cal NGO tells pet owners "Know which hotels and motels along your evacuation route will accept you and your pets in an emergency. If you learn that you may need to evacuate, you should call ahead for reservations." Know ahead of time where a disaster will strike and what your evacuation route will be? Good advice for psychic pet owners eh.

Do not expect to get through on the phone to hotels or motels during a disaster, and do not count on them to hold a room. Depending on the type of disaster, a better plan could be to drive like howl out of the disaster region and then see what kind of pet accommodations are around. But if the disaster is an earthquake, you likely not going anywhere, not even leaving da house for a while. By the woof, we believe that concierges should waive no-pet policies in times of disaster.

One resource for help in making grrreat Pet Go-Bags and pet evacuation plans is your veterinarian! Remember to ask your vet for help in customizing your pet first aid kit.

Paw-notes: Mum sez, "At the very least, keep maps, cash, contact phone numbers, and cell phone chargers handy at home, in your car, and in your workplace. Encourage pet rescue organizations and animal shelters to do the same. Find time to learn local, county, and state geography, and to become familiar with main highways. As you learn more, mark-up your maps with information such as alternate evacuation routes, hospitals, county fairgrounds, veterinary ER clinics, and pet-friendly places such as Motel 6 locations. The more thought you give to preparation, the better off you'll be in an actual disaster."

Thanx woofs to @hollygomadly for tweeting the great cat pic. Someday ourselves will offer our own pet checklists and other disaster prep tips we have been compiling.

Welsh corgi dog scene from Elvis movie Blue Hawaii

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

Mum told ourwoofselves that the first Welsh corgi she ever saw was when she was taken to the theatre to see an Elvis movie called Blue Hawaii.

Mum sez she had been too little to understand the silly movie let alone know what a corgi was. In dog-honest-fact, sez Mum, herself didn't remember the movie or the corgi till Blue Hawaii was on TV a couple of years back.

Doo you think Mum could have been left with a subliminal corgi image from very early childhood? Is the image what caused her pawsitive response when she saw a corgi again years later? . . . Who does know.

Anyhowl this is youtube of the corgi scene in Blue Hawaii.

That corgi was a smart fella eh!

RIP Rita Miljo, wildlife conservationist of African baboon sanctuary C.A.R.E.

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

We would like to remember conservationist Rita Miljo, renowned for caring for orphaned and injured wildlife and for reintroducing baboons into the wilds of South Africa.

Ms Miljo was the founder of C.A.R.E. -- the Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education -- in the bush of Limpopo province, on the banks of the Olifants River near Phalaborwa in the Northern Province, about 250 miles northeast of Johannesburg.

On 27 July 2012, Ms Miljo died in a fire which destroyed much of the headquarters of C.A.R.E. Ms Miljo was 81 years old, and had been working in Africa since 1953. Three of her beloved baboons died with her in the tragic fire.

Here is Rita Miljo speaking in a 2007 video interview by wildlife-nannies.com:

"You can never over-spoil a baboon. The more love you give him, the more love he gives you back."

A lovely quote from a very caring human. Rest in peace.

July birthdays!

by winecountrydog Jackie Nippers

I am the only four-legger round here whose birth date is known. Always when we celebrate myself's July 23rd birthday, we doo have a pawty for Ani Meezer as well.

This year we did pawty fur three days. Here is myself on the furst pawty morning.

And here is Ani Meezer. She is eating her birthday bouquet of wildflowers which we collected on walkies.

Mum did take myself and furbro Tilin Corgi out fur my birthday ice cream.

OMD deeelicious!

Furbro Tilin loves ice cream too.

Next day Mum did take myself on special wine tasting adventures. Just the two of us.

On the third day of pawtying, Mum did share some of her nommy Pinot poached salmon.

Then Mum did serve a doglicious dessert of blackberry Cabernet sorbet.

Myself and Meezer fell asleep on the bed together. We were full and happy and tired from pawtying.

A lovely time twas had by all.