Infographic: Types of ticks throughout the United States

This infographic was commissioned by PetCareRx.com. Providing quality pet meds and supplies for all your pet needs.

Today is Charlie Day!

Honestly, I don't know why I am so afraid to take Charlie Brown places, because we went to the vet today and just had the most amazing morning!  As you may know, his most recent vet appointment revealed that he had contracted anaplasmosis.  I'll be writing about that on April 1st as my first post of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  Charlie was on antibiotics for two weeks, and today was his follow-up appointment.  He just needed a pat on the head and an extra booster vaccine for leptospirosis (that will be my post for the letter "L" on April 14th, assuming I make it that far!).  Well, I don't know why I am so nervous because he was so well-behaved, I am very proud of him, and impressed with him.  I take none of the credit, being my same anxiety-ridden self.

Charlie was greeted at the door by J.J., the vet tech's chow-chow who is always on-premises.  Charlie, ever the boss at home, was very gentlemanly, submissive and polite to J.J.  Hey, after all, this was J.J.'s territory.  Then, Charlie got onto the scale and sat down while I weighed him! Then, he did it again for the vet tech when he wanted to double-check his weight! None of my other dogs ever cooperate on the scale.

We went into the exam room to wait for the vet.  As a human, I can only imagine what the smells in the exam room are like.  Lots of pheromones, I suppose.  Charlie, being part hound, took a reading on every smell in that room.  And then, he started "talking" to me.  It was so funny!  I swear he was trying to form words.  Hounds do that -- a lot of times they sound like they're saying English words.

I wish I had brought my phone with me, but I wanted to travel light, so I left it at home.... therefore,
I didn't get any pictures of Our True Gentleman lying down at the vet's office.  What?!!! None of my dogs, except Cooper (the veterinary-appointment expert) lie down at the vet's office!

When we checked out and were paying the bill, he sat beside me like a perfect gentleman and waited for me to pay.

Charlie Brown was also very calm and courteous getting out of the car (always an issue because... why is every vet's office located on the busiest highway in town?).  I am always afraid someone is going to slip a leash, or jump out of a crate into oncoming traffic.  Charlie was a real champ, gently stepping out of the car and waiting for me to grapple with him.

As with every other problem with my dogs, the problem is me, not them.  I need to take him places more often!

Part two of Charlie Day is this evening, when we are going to see Charlie Farren and his former band, Farrenheit, perform at a reunion concert with dinner.  It's like a dinner theatre type of place, but with rock 'n' roll.  I'm psyched about the menu, which has a more-than-adequate selection of vegetarian choices.  Yay!

Have a great weekend.  Thanks for reading.

  ***  Many thanks to the folks whose URLs I used throughout this blog post.  If you want one removed, just say the word.  No worries!  Grateful for the help :)  ****

A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal

I'm taking part in the blogosphere's April A to Z Challenge, starting April 1st, of course.

I hesitated about choosing a "theme" but decided a theme will keep me more focused and committed to seeing this through to the end.  Bonus, I can pre-compose some posts and schedule them for days when I'm too busy to actually post.

So, I'm joining this blog-hop-within-a-blog-hop today to reveal my theme.

Big surprise:  it's....  wait for it, wait for it..........

Dog and cat behavior and health!!

Ok, it's a little bit of a stretch for a "theme" since it contains four items:  dogs, cats, behavior and health. I'm not a dog or cat behaviorist, or a veterinarian... I've just had the companionship of many dogs and cats in my lifetime, and thankfully almost all of them have lived well into their senior years.

So, check out my posts during April, if you can.  I greatly appreciate the exposure :)

Me and a litter of kittens, back in the '60s

How do you spend your money on pet products?

Are you a choosy, budget-conscious pet-parent, or do you buy the latest and trendiest items, when the mood strikes you, just to try them out?

I'm pleased to be included as a Pet Blogger Influencer with BlogPaws.  A bunch of us pet bloggers got together in January, and answered several surveys about how pet parents (like us!) spend their money on pet-related products and services.

Check out this nifty infographic the folks at BlogPaws came up with, based on the results of those surveys.

My favorite statistic is the largest circle at the top:  96% of pet parents (because we bloggers are also pet parents) would be willing to borrow money and/or go without [things] to help care for their pet(s).  I have always said that I would rather live under a bridge, with nothing, than to give up my pets -- and it appears a lot of others feel the same way!

The information I found second-most interesting was how much pet shopping is done online.  I honestly thought these numbers would be higher, but I guess I am an oddball because I much prefer to just click a few times and be done with it, and expect my shipment at home or at my office, in a few days' time.  Going to a store in person is just a big hassle.  First, I have to get dressed and drive 20-30 minutes (we live in "can't get there, from here" territory).  Where is that rewards card, anyway? Oh, you have to look up my phone number?  Gee, which of my seven phone numbers did I use when I signed up for that bonus card?  Sigh.  I'd much rather do all this online.

"Do you use any 'human' products?"  81% of us are apparently not very "green" -- we use paper towels!  And I'm one of them.  Hey, animals have accidents, often.  A roll of paper towels is a must-have.  But the other items (baby wipes, cotton swabs, tissues and toothbrushes) I do not use.  Maybe tissues once in a while.  Maybe a cotton swab once a year if a dog has a small wound or a cat has in infected ear.  

The rest of the infographic focuses on us bloggers -- Do we consider our blog a great resource for readers to use to purchase pet products?  How many times a week do you blog?  What is your reason for blogging?  Do you plan to monetize your blog?  Interestingly, most bloggers leaned towards a response of sharing info and the possibility of earning money as their motivators.  I monetized this blog recently, and while a drib or drab has come in, it's certainly not enough to pay the bills!  But, I work full-time in a completely unrelated profession, so I'm not spending a great deal of time trying to make money on blogging.  Maybe some day.  For now, admittedly, this is a hobby for me.  I'm enjoying writing as often as I can, and sharing upbeat and useful information, with (of course) lots of photos of my pets!

Just one more thing:  

When you buy a gift for your pet, do you wrap it?  54% of pet parents actually do!

Tune in for more survey results in April!

#WordlessWednesday Bored puppies, when will winter end?

We. Are. So. BORED!

Asleep?  No! I'm lookin' out the window!

Who?  Me?

A dream about Jon Bon Jovi

So, today is Jon Bon Jovi's birthday.  This morning, I had a dream about him.  No, not that kind of dream!  Get your minds out of the gutter!

Jon "waving at me" at the Mohegan Sun Bon Jovi concert, October 2013.
The show had been postponed from February, 2013 to October, due to snow.

I must have had on my mind the upcoming Cesar Millan show, which includes a "meet and greet" in which, we would get our picture taken with Cesar and spend a few minutes with him and his dog, Junior.

Cesar, at his 2013 show in Lynn, Mass.
My friend Lori and I eventually got to meet him during a botched-up "meet and greet"
that almost didn't happen, even though we paid extra for it!

So, I had this dream that I was going to meet Jon Bon Jovi at a special "meet and greet", for me only.

In the dream, I did not ask my fellow Bon Jovi fan, Kathi, to come with me.  I was in touch with an assistant-type woman who was coordinating the whole thing.  I'm not sure if the woman instructed me to bring no one else, (cripes, it sounds like a ransom plan!) or whether I just blew off Kathi of my own accord, in the dream.  LOL!

In the dream, Jon had apparently been having dental surgery that day (I know!  Where does this come from, in the recesses of the dreaming mind?!) and the assistant-lady said he might be in rough shape, but he had made a promise.... so he was coming all the way to Massachusetts, just to meet me!

In the dream, Jon arrived by airplane and the woman brought him to me in some waiting area which looked a lot like the hallways at the Sheraton Tara Hotel where I had met Chuck Negron a couple months ago (Chuck was in an auditorium that was showing a screening of his documentary....not a hotel room!!  He was gracious enough to have his picture taken with me and signed one of his books.)

Chuck, answering my friend Andrea's question after the screening of his documentary,
"Three Dog Nightmare: The Chuck Negron Story"

Ok, back to the dream... Jon and I shake hands.  I am wearing an old, baggy
t-shirt and yoga pants and Crocs.  My usual attire.  He is all dressed in leather and denim, of course, and he doesn't seem to be having any dental pain or novocaine-face.  Nevertheless, I figure, in the dream, I won't put a lot of pressure on him.  We have a lovely "small-talk" conversation, and then he says something about not being able to eat dinner (obviously) and then he gets in a car and the woman assistant-type person is driving.  She drives away.

Jon and the boys, taking their bows at the Gillette Stadium show in July

It is at that point, in the dream, that I realize I didn't get my picture taken with him!!  Horrified, I run after the car, mouthing the word "WAIT!" but not saying it out loud.  (huh???!) He looks right at me, from the passenger seat.  I mouth "WAIT!" again, and he waves and smiles and they drive out of the parking lot.

I think, "How am I going to explain to Kathi and my Facebook friends that I met Jon and I have no photo to prove it?"  Well, I realize, Kathi will be mad at me anyway, so what difference does it make!?

I wake up.

About an hour later, I get a message on my cell phone (this is in real life, now) from the theatre where Cesar Millan's show was to be taking place next week.  The show has been postponed until October.

Does anyone see a pattern here?