Wot did you doo for summer vacay?

by @winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

Wot did you doo durin' summer 2014 vacay? Hopin' you had bestest fresh og noms and good walkies!

When ourselves doo travel any pawlaces, Mumsy does pack emergency Go-Bags for all of us. . . . Ani Meezer maows: "Would you like to see my Hissaster Purrep Kitty Pack? MOL." . . . Mum sez: "Yes, Meezer, everybuddy should see your Purrep Pack. Please post pics someday soon."

Ourselves not travel often or furry far this summer. In summer 2013 da wildfire smokes got us many times. Nobuddy wanting to run into wildfires and smokes again.

In summer 2014, da wildland fires in Nor Cal forests and wilderness areas have been widespread and intense. Mum keepin' watchful and sometimes teary eyes on da fires. . . .Mum sez: "I try not to dwell on the suffering of animals and people caught up in this intense period of Western wildfires. But it's not easy to ignore the suffering, especially that of wildlife in the Siskiyous and Cascades."

You doo know summer 2014 is my ancient woofself's 17th summer? Mum did think mywoofself might not be up for big travels. Mum has da concerns bout my stamina effurr since myself's peeky OTRB in Feb 2014. But myself dooin' fine. Fooled you! BOL!!

Ani Meezer did make wee vacay at Jonny Cat clay quarry. Meezer maows: "Liked tour of giant litter boxes. MOL."

Mywoofself watched local campers tryin' to pitch tent. . . . Howl. Tis not MY craft beer. Methinks Mumsy set myself up to look like a doggeh lush. BOL

Furbro Jackie Nippers also watched campers strugglin' to pitch tent. Hiswoofself asked "Is that a pup tent?" . . . OMD BOL! Myself did snort.

Ourselves did roll on grass wit big BOLs. Da campers looked o'er at ourselves as if we be mad dogs. BOL!

Barkin' at Mum for more vacay! . . . But nobuddy need 'nother "vacay day" like earthquake day on 24 August 2014. *Paw prayers* for all folks and furriends in Napa area. . . . Pawleeze make da emergency Go-Bags for pets + everybuddy, as you doo neffurr know when next disaster comin' eh.

Vacay Pawt 1: Wine, microbrews, SOLA lavender + farm-to-bowl noms

by Tilin Corgi @winecountrydog

Mid-July summer 2013 travels -- Hotter 'n a dog on a grrrrill. Just as worryin' for us dogs who gotta watch out for wildland fires ... 'specially in da Siskiyou mountains areas where we doo travel furrequently.

Howlever, dogspite da high temps and wildfire worries, ourwoofselves + Ani Meezer dooin' wonderfur back-country vacay. Ourselves + Meezer luv road travel 'cuz Mum does stop along da way for fresh foods -- pastured humane meats and organic veggies and fruits from farmers markets. Meezer knows there is nothin' nommier for a carnivore than farm-to-bowl raw bisons and beefs.

'Ere you doo see mywoofself, right, chillin' with furbro in a roadside garden.

If yourself's chauffurr is thinkin' about driving up Highway 101 north all da way past Crescent City, California, then your chauffurr best stop in Illinois Valley ... 'cuz there be one arfully interestin' winery there. Mum sez "The viticulture of the Rogue Valley region is very interesting. They're producing better and better wines, especially the Viognier, Tempranillo, and Merlot."

Soon after wine tastings, there was LOTTA LATTE LUV for chauffurr (aka Mum). BOL

Anywhere not be wine country these daze?? Da wine grapes are growin' effurrywhere. You be ridin' down some mountain valley road far outs in da countryside, and suddenly da ranches and farms turn into vineyards like this one on Humbug Creek.

Yourself likes lavender? Then you will like da annual So OR lavender festival. Mum did 'ave her nose workin' offurrtime smellin' many different cultivars of L. angustifolia and lavandin.

Ourselves rode out to Goodwin Creek Gardens -- a furry famous and knowledgeable lavender grower! Mum so happy to visit their gardens. Mum has done lotta researches and writing about da species and cultivars of Lavandula, and also da medicinal applications.

At Goodwin Creek, da lavenders are furragnant. And da family members of all generations are fun. They are savvy 'bout herbs, farm-fresh foods, craft beers, and so much more!

Yourself likes organic local veggies or meats for supper? Yourself likes craft beer on tap? Then yourself likes da little restos and cafes in da middle 'o nowhere wot got freshest local foods and regional microbrews! Mum enjoyed big dinner + microbrews. Ourwoofselves got wee sippies 'o Walkabout pale ale.

Some 'o da rural fresh-food + brew cafes got da live musics and local-tourney pool tables too. Not your granddogdaddy's dive bars. BOL ...

(Ourwoofselves doo keep some 'o these pawlaces on "the QT" ... meanin' that ourselves doo not woof 'bout ALL da pawlaces where ourselves hang out. Soundin' snobby? Howl no. Jus' like to travel indognito sometimes. BOL)

Wot a crazzzy fun long day. Hotter 'n howl. But ourwoofselves did lotta cool water-soaked bandanas and ... awww ... da coolin' paws in ice waters. 

End 'o day on da trail. Ride back to camp.

Paw-script: In high-risk wildfire areas in summertime, ourwoofselves doo always travel with emergency evacuation readiness supplies, includin' lotta water and alternate-route maps. Pawleeze, furriends, doo not count on internets or simple road exits in da fire-pawrone back country eh.

Pawtrait of the corgi as a young dog

by winecountrydog

Every dog is a work of art. A dream to wake up to.

As a tribute to us dogs and to the drinking holiday that humans call St. Patrick's Day, I give you this unique corgi pawtrait:


Woof thanks fur the pic to Shippie's Pub, Tasmania's famous watering hole, where they're pawtying every day.

Pawleeze pass the local Lagunitas. I can have 60 mL. Calms me hyper self.

"Nothing's better than beer."

by pawlitico

Here we go again. The argument about dogs drinkin' beer.

If you know my buddy Tilin "winecountrydog" Corgi, you know that he occasionally needs some kind of sedative and relaxant. Tilin has episodes of arful back muscle spasms. Other times he gets the hypers 'cuz of a nervous disorder.

The hypers make Tilin get more and more wound up. Now, we'd love to see Tilin run around like a puppy if it weren't scary. He could re-injure his back. Or he could go into a seizure. Howl, you'd never know how serious this is by lookin' at Tilin, but his history includes life-threatening spinal problems and idiopathic epilepsy.

We're fortunate to know a veterinarian with uncommonly good sense. She told Tilin to drink 1/4 cup of quality beer to help sedate him. Such a marvelous solution! How much easier this is on Tilin's system than heavy-duty sedatives! And so effective that dog-ma can usually avoid giving him meds like narcotics.

Tilin says, "Fur some of my episodes, nothing's better than beer for calming me without knockin' me out."

Now, for dog health safety, you dogs shouldn't drink to drunkenness. And you shouldn't depend on this remedy for any length of time. We're talking here about a brief, conservative consumption regimen. A serving of just 1/4 cup of beer or ale is fine. (We corgis weigh between 25 and 35 pounds.) It's best to open the bottle ahead of time and let the beer go kinda flat, but the carbonation in 1/4 cup doesn't bother Tilin or lead to bloat. And the sugary malts and stuff don't bother Tilin 'cuz he's not diabetic.

Tilin gets his dog mug refilled up to every few hours. After a few days of this regimen, he goes back on the wagon. It's not difficult for him; he's a happy, busy dog who easily returns to his normal routines once he feels calm again.

This time, dog-ma gave Tilin doses of Union Jack India pale ale (IPA) for the hypers. Dog-ma let me taste Union Jack. After all, my birth name is Jack.

This IPA is doggedly aggressive but smooth. Comes from micro-brewery Firestone Walker in Paso Robles, California. Here's what the brew dogs say:

Citrus, pineapple, and a full chewy malt profile finish clean on your palate. . . . A beer true to its origins; deeply hopped and bolstered for a long voyage. . . . At the 2008 European Beer Star Award competition in Germany [in November '08] . . . Union Jack IPA took top honors in the extremely competitive India Pale Ale category with a gold medal.

The Firestone Union was inspired by the old Burton Union system, once a staple of British beermaking. The Burton Union was developed around 1840 as English tastes shifted from London porters to pale ales crafted in Burton-Upon-Trent. The Burton beers were bright and clear with a firm, satisfying bite: a taste unique in its time-and still unique today. We are the only brewery in the United States to currently employ the union brewing method. . . . Our patented Firestone Union uniquely incorporates 60-gallon oak barrels into the brewing process.

I'm glad dog-ma's buddy Joey at the store picked this India pale ale as one his faves. We want to suppawt small regional businesses like this microbrewery, which crafts great ale and delivers it fresh.

When Tilin Corgi woke up this morning, he was back to normal! No longer all hyped up. Dog-ma's ale therapy worked in a day.

So I have to pawlitely disagree with Louise Murray, DVM, Director of Medicine, ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, who has been quoted as saying that humans should never give beer to dogs. What humans should do is to check with their dogs' veterinarians! May you find a veterinarian like ours, who offers a different pawspective on practical remedies fur what ails you.

We dogs are individuals, and we need healthcare and homecare to be carefully tail-ored to us as individuals. Woof.

They say it's my birthday

by winecountrydog

They say it's my birthday!. . . I checked my doghaus calendar, and, sure enuff, the date November 15th was circled as my 11th birthday. Nobuddy knows exactly which day I was born on, 'cuz as a puppy, I was a GGPWC rescue. But dog-ma brought me home when I was six or seven weeks old, so she knows how many years I have.

We started pawtying on the 13th.


I wanted to celebrate the occasion inside Russian River Brewing Co. with friends Katie da KRSH DJ and Justin of 1/4 Mile Combo. You recall that I enjoy the occasional 1/4-cuppa ale for my back spasms?


But, oh howl, dogs aren't allowed in Calif. eatin' places. So I ended up not havin' ale for what was ailing me.

Instead, I got to got to Dr. Jordan's clinic. I had a lovely laser therapy session. Woof! K-class laser therapy is fur healing, and I'll be paw-writing about it soon.

At Dr Jordan's, I made a new furriend — a sweet little rescue guy named Mo. He was with his nice human, Ali.


At home, I've been enjoying meals even more delicious than usual. I've received some gifts, too. My favorite gift is the yummy, healthy organic dog treats that Ani made for me.


'Tis still shocking that I'm as old as they say. I play like a puppy. Kind of.


Oh my paws, I'm so tired from pawtying.

Dogtown redoo, or ale and tail again

By winecountrydog

I'm a Welsh Corgi who drinks beer so that I can relax and sleep without taking much heavy-duty doggie medication. (Lagunitas Dogtown Pale Ale and Mendocino Red Tail Ale are two of my favs.)

Humans around the U.S. are going nutz over my being a beer-drinking dog after I paw-wrote about it. Some humans are howlin' more about my drinking than about the underwhelming news from the McCain – Obama campaigns.

I want you to understand that I drink beer for my tail — that being the end where my painful spasms radiate and make my back legs shaky and weak.

First, allow me to quote a certain veterinary professional, whose name I'll be yappy to provide you via email:

The folks who get irate about dogs getting beer, etc., are mad because of the numbnuts that use alcohol to intoxicate their pets for amusement — just to see them staggering around and falling down the stairs. I get pretty mad about that too. Sipping just enough to relax you so you can sleep better is a whole different story — like the difference between someone who enjoys a glass of wine at dinner vs. someone who drinks himself into an early death from liver disease.

This veterinarian also points out that "most medications, and even many vitamins and minerals, are poisons if taken incorrectly." Smart dogs will consult their vets before taking any kind of med or supplement — including beer.

Tell your vet which beer product you're looking to drink. You don't want, for exmple, a stout that's made with real chocolate, toxic to canines. Such is the case with Breakfast Stout from Founders Brewing Co. It's a lovely drink fur humans. But, like many stouts, it's brewed with chocolates and not good fur dogs.

A word to the wise dog should be sufficient here.

A pro-hops southern Oregon herbalist and animal lover reminds us that hops are a nerve tonic for many animals as well as humans. We're experimenting with recipes that use hops to provide nervine benefit.

We see that hops are helpful to horses, too, as Horsetalk NZ writer Robert McDowell explains. Here's a snippet from his "Nerve Tonics" piece.

There is a class of herbs called 'nervines' — herbs that have specific actions on the nervous system. Many of the nervines contain high levels of magnesium phosphate — a mineral that has been found to be very important to the health and well-being of nerves. Different nervines nourish different aspects of the nervous system; the job of the herbalist is to identify the nervine(s) that will suit a particular sort of nervous system.

There are around a dozen nervines that apply to humans, but there are four main nervines — Valerian, Vervain, Chamomile, and Hops — that apply to horses.

I wonder whether hops are in the diet of famous Welsh horse twins Bill and Ben — the world's oldest equine twins.


You can read about Bill and Ben in the Horsetalk NZ July 2008 piece "Celebrity twins chalk up a quarter century." You can also visit the celebrity duo at Veteran Horse Centre at St Dogmaels, Cardigan, West Wales.

Remember now, if you have serious spasms, take a bit of beer before walkies.

My previous "ale for tail" article is Dogtown days of summer.

Dogtown Days of summer

By winecountrydog

The Dogtown Days of summer are upon me — that is, Dogtown Pale Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company. I'm drinking 'cuz ale is good for what ails me.

Good ol' Lagunitas. As they say, they brew "in a bizarre old world tradition using only water, hops, yeast, and malted barley." The result is something that humans and dogs call delicious and delightful.

In this dog's opinion, the Dogtown ale, which is fairly light-bodied, has a nice floral aroma with fruity and herbal notes, a fresh hoppy scent, balanced bitterness (not sharp), smooth mouthfeel, and a dogalicious finish.

That's pretty good describin' fur a dog, isn't it? Well, howl, I've had plenty of oppawtunity to think about how to describe things since my major back surgery.

Drinking good craft beer is a serious health matter for me. I have awful muscle spasms from time to time. I drink beer the same way I take pharmaceutical drugs: in a measured dose. Drugs like muscle relaxants and painkillers "zonk" me, so I try not to take them too much. I don't like feeling zonked. But sometimes I have to give in 'cuz the spasms get to me.

A bit of beer in a specified amount, based on my weight, really helps me relax, and it also helps my medications last longer in my system. I learned this "beer trick" from a veterinarian.

Some humans feel I'm nutz for drinking beer. And they feel my dog-ma is a criminal for buying me the beer. Humans have passionate opposing opinions on this subject!

Here's an example of the anti-beer position: "Owners must be made aware of the danger and consequences of alcohol consumption in the family pet and consider alcohol as a household poison. Veterinarians are reminded that any incident of alcohol poisoning in animals is not legally privileged information and, if abuse is thought to have occurred, the local humane society and police need to be involved." This statement is from The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (1993).

I'm not abused. I'm not poisoned. I actually feel better today than I did yesterday. But now, 'cuz of reading anti-beer literature, I'm paranoid.

Could you paw-leeze bail my dog-ma out of jail if they catch me with a beer in my paw?

Pawnote: If you'd like to bark about this subject, question my sanity, or get more info about how I use beer safely, paw-leeze email me.

Dog Pickles

Got cukes? My friend Genevieve does. That's why I started thinking about dog pickles. Tilin the winecountrydog picked a peck of cukes and pickled 'em. How many pickled cukes did Tilin corgi eat?

I think my corgi dog buddy pawlitico and I will chew the cukes for now and skip the pickling.

We dream about chasing cukes with a bit of Spinning Dog Pickles ale. 'Tis a bitter ale, said to be a lovely gold color and hoppy in flavor.

But its beyond our paw reach, as is Mutley's Revenge. The Spinning Dog Brewery and its Victory Pub are in Hereford, in the UK.

"Pickles" is still a popular dog name. A very famous Pickles was the London dog who found the World Cup trophy after it was stolen. The theft happened prior to the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England.

Pickles found the precious football trophy in a suburban garden hedge while out walking with his guardian/owner (who later collected a £6,000 reward). Pickles was invited to the celebration banquet when England won the trophy. He actually got to lick the plates clean.

In 1973, poor Pickles died in a tragic way. He choked on his own lead while chasing a cat.

I've added the story of Pickles to my list of reasons why humans should not leash us dogs by the neck. I wear a harness for walkies. My neck is where I wear my ID collar.

My neck is not where humans are supposed to attach a leash and jerk me around. I can't consult a canine chiropractor on a daily basis.

Go forth and pickle.

Dog-friendly Barley and Hops Tavern

The town of Occidental, just down the Bohemian Highway from the Russian River Valley, has a dog-friendly watering hole: Barley and Hops Tavern. It's the tall yellow house with dogs and humans on the porch.

Chloe and Squirt loved the porch. From their bench they kept an eye on the bar.


Chloe, Border Collie/Shepherd/Greyhound mix, is a rescue dog from Placerville. Her buddy and housemate Squirt is a Blue Heeler who does canine karaoke.


From our porch pawspective, we could see people sitting inside downing craft beer and food.


My dog-ma looked blissful with her Lagunitas Farmhouse Saison draught in hand as she surveyed the bottled brew list.

Tavern owners Noah and Mir are very nice. Also extremely efficient, smart, and friendly. . . . I'm talking highest paw rating. They're so spot-on that they're putting up leash hooks for dogs to sit-stay on the porch.

Dog-ma sez she couldn't help drooling over a grass-fed beef Occidental Burger. A customer was devouring one and praising it wildly. Noah was behind the bar. He finally quipped, "Yes, our food is every bit as good as our beer, and our beer is fantastic." Dog-ma raised her glass to Noah's summation.

Mir appeared with a tray of Lata's vegetarian samosas and mint chutney. Dog-ma and dining companion ordered quickly. I soon overheard dog-ma telling Noah they're the best samosas ever, and a perfect pairing with Saison ale. I wonder what they meant by "synergy" and "grassy" qualities. Woof?

Such juicy, on-the-dogspot, mouth-watering foods and beers. If only I'd been beneath the bar, catching scraps. Imagine the scraps that Porter the cat (seen on the tavern logo) must get.

Read Noah's lively blog. There you'll find Tavernmistress's lunch and dinner menus. Plus a brilliant beer menu and eclectic little wine list.

Shouldn't I go back right now for some Porter Walnut Pie and Guinness Mousse?


Credit for photos: Pat (PR Petsitting, Napa) and Tina (Chloe and Squirt's dog mom, Placerville)

Credit for tip about this dogstination: Henry Ehlers (The Midglen Studio, architects & builders)

Sequim 'summer event of the senses'

There's so much blooming lavender in Sequim, Washington, that Google Earth shows a big purple spot where the Olympic Peninsula used to be.

At the annual Sequim Lavender Festival, you can get your own piece of the purple haze.

The 12th annual festival is being held July 18–20, 2008. The Street Fair boasts many freshly-harvested lavender varieties as well as wonderful locally-made lavender products and other herbal products. Nice culinary products include those by Cedarbrook Lavender & Herb Farm. For pet products, check out Moosedreams Lavender Farms' Full Moon Dog and Full Tilt Tabby.

There are art and crafts vendors, music, food booths, and a wine and beer garden. You'll find some other farm crops and goods for sale, too. Find Leeon of Angel Farms lavender and ask him about his goldenseal.

The list of lavender goodies and other wonderful things goes on and on. You might need some of Mike Reichner's lavender-infused coffee to keep you on your nose for the whole weekend.

The Farm Tours will dazzle your senses.

Dog-ma says Sequim's a great place to talk to growers and learn the difference between lavender cultivars. By the time the festival's over, you'll be able to tell a Lavandin from an angustifolia, maybe even a Grosso from a Hidcote . . . if you don't overdo the Deschutes ale or the Olympic Peninsula wines.

Attention, you dogs: You'll have to let your humans do the Street Fair while you hang out at Olympic Gentle Paws' dog-sitting area on 2nd Avenue in Sequim, near the Farm Tours bus stop. If you make your people feel guilty enough about leaving you, they might bring you back some lavender-grilled chicken, salmon, or prawns.

Credit for photos: Sequim Lavender Festival

Petaluma Sirius with LaLoo

Have you tried Lagunitas Sirius Ale with LaLoo's Deep Chocolate goat's milk ice cream? . . . No? Then you must've missed the Petaluma Art & Garden Festival.

The 2008 annual event in PETaluma was held on July 13th.

Big dog Baxter was there having a good time with Dolores.

Max was there.

His dog-mom was nice enough to carry his water bowl for him.

Sadie, posing here with her dad, Aaron, was so comfy in her stroller.

If my dog-ma had a stroller for me like this — one with a big bonnet to keep the sun out of my eyes — I could've gone all over the place!

See how blissed out Maggie May gets when her dog-mom, Ava, holds her.

Big dog (above) met big beer . . . and who knows what else.
Baxter met a beautiful little long-haired daschund (above). I understand why he really likes her.
Maggie May met Max (in photo above). . . . a match made in downtown PETaluma.
Dog-ma sez Caitlin, Mary Ryan, Amelia, and mom Alice (in photo above) are a study in design contrasts: paisley, polka dot, solid, and floral.

The whole afternoon at this "no pets" event was dogalicious. You might've missed it, but you don't have to wait till next year to try the local food at Tres Hombres, Pazzo, and other great places in PETaluma. You dogs can't have a table at most of them 'cuz they don't have outdoor seating, but you can ask your guardian/owners to get you a doggie bag.

Sticky terroir

by winecountrydog

I'm not the Jancis Robinson of the dog world, but I know more about terroir than most dogs. I'm a corgi, a herding dog. Not a hunting dog except when it comes to wine and beer.

I hunt wine with dog-ma and other humans who live here. By "here" I mean Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Napa areas. I spend most of my time in Sonoma AVAs, especially the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Green Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Valley, and Carneros-Sonoma. I wait while others taste. I get to meet nice people.

A funny fact about people in winemaking is that they're often beer aficionados. I understand this 'cuz I like beer. I'm allowed to drink a 1/4-cup of beer for muscle spasms. Dog-ma and I hunt for good microbrew pilseners, porters, and stout, but often end up with ales. We want to hunt for draughts, but few places are dog-friendly. I understand when dog-ma sneaks off to drink Sonoma Farmhouse Saison Style ale on tap without me. In bottles, dog-ma enjoys Blue Paddle, Blue Heron, and Lagunitas and Rogue Brewery ales. Rogue's brewdog says their ales are made with "coastal free range water." Woof?

It doesn't always matter what humans in marketing call things. As long as brewers and winemakers don't mangle terroir — that "sense of place." Fortunately, a lot of today's winegrape growers and winemakers have a fairly holistic understanding of terroir. Winemaker Ed Sbragia summed it up when talking to AppellationAmerica.com:

"My winemaking experience indicates to me that when the French say terroir, they really focus on both soil and climate. But it's way more than that. It's the human involvement — how someone decided to plant the vines and in what row direction, then to nurture them by suckering and other practices. . . ."

You've noticed that you can't discern terroir in many commercial wines? You will find a sense of place only in carefully vinified wines from exceptional vines. Wine humans like to say "great wine is made in the vineyard." I like to add "great wine potential can be lost in the handling."

"That's some nice terroir!"

From my low pawspective, every grape or other crop has an odor and flavor unique to its terroir, even if the crop lacks certain desirable qualities. But the identity of terroir is fragile. Once grapes are harvested, they are sulfured, crushed, put in tanks, doused with commercial yeast and commercial nutrients, pumped over, transferred, sampled, pressed, racked, sulfured again, transferred again, racked again, sampled again, maybe fined, maybe filtered, transferred again, bottled, shipped, stored, shipped again, stored. . . . If I were a grape, my terroir would be exhausted!

I exaggerate to make the point that fermenting grape juice and finished wine are fragile "living liquids" that require extraordinary care in processing and handling.

Longtime winemakers Ed Sbragia and Richard Arrowood (now at Amapola Creek) include the famed Monte Rosso vineyard when they talk about great terroir. At a "Sonoma in the City" seminar, Mr. Arrowood referred to the brick-red soil of Monte Rosso, quipping that, when he walked in the door of his house with the red soil stuck to his shoes, his wife, Alis, said, "You really don’t need to bring any more terroir to my attention."

A corgi dog understands sticky terroir.