Puerto Rico is lovely, too...

It's been almost a week since we returned from our convention in Puerto Rico, and I'm just now having time to sit down and write about it here.  These trips are sponsored by the company I work for, Passports Educational Travel, and they're work assignments meaning even though you have a great opportunity to be in a fun and gorgeous place that people dream of, you have to be "on duty" 24/7 and your schedule gets way messed up.  Anyhow, it was gorgeous and fun, and here's my report about Puerto Rico.

View of Castillo San Felipe, from Castillo de San Cristobal

When I first arrived, I couldn't believe what a huge, Americanized, metropolis Puerto Rico was. Having spent most of my Caribbean time on very small islands, I just assumed....  but no, it was like flying into San Jose (California)!!  Eight-lane highways, mountains, ocean and warmth.  I instantly fell in love with this place. Once I got on the ground, met our tour manager at the airport, and got a ride into the city of Old San Juan for our evening welcome reception, I had already decided that I was going to retire HERE some day!  This was like the Caribbean and American rolled into one.  Anyone who knows me, knows I'm so American it is ridiculous.  I've always disliked the idea of living in another country.  This would be the best of both worlds -- summers on Cape Cod, winters in Puerto Rico.  It was all but decided...

The decision would be short-lived (well, I should say, the jury is still out).  This was because, directly across the street from our hotel (and I mean, I could see the building from my hotel room) was a cock-fighting arena.  Once the group stopped making male anatomy jokes, I had to wonder exactly where our chicken dinners were coming from -- dinner was at the restaurant next door!  (Oh, being a vegetarian there is a bit difficult as well, so add another check box to the "cons" column.) Evidently this "sport" of cock-fighting is as popular here as bullfighting is in Spain.  I get the cultural significance, but I know I can't endorse it.  As one of my traveling companions said, "Well, you don't have to GO there!"  I said, "It doesn't matter, I know it is happening, and that is enough for me." Disappointing, and such a paradoxical contrast to the beauty of the island.  

As per my previous post-travel post, "Ireland is Lovely, but where are the dogs?", I knew there would be stray animals around.  I know people who've rescued dogs from Puerto Rico.  Happily, I didn't see any stray dogs.  But cats?  Different story.  There were dozens.  At our hotel, and on the beach, there were a few, and on our sightseeing tour of the old city, there was an entire cat-infested street that basically amounted to a tourist attraction (yea, I took a photo of every cat on that street, and there were a bunch!!). 

 

There was very little free time, but a week ago, on the Sunday when my colleagues were rapt at attention to the NFL teams who were playing off for their final championship games, this non-fan took a long walk on the beach.  Often admonished by my fellow photography buffs ("Always bring a camera!") I forgot my camera. Wouldn't you know it, I found one of those Hobie boats and figured it was my Hobie sending telepathic hellos from home.  I walked ALL the way back to the hotel, got my camera, and walked ALL the way back to the Hobie boat, just so I could take a selfie of "me and Hobie".  I'm not good at selfies, my arms are too short and I always make "ugly photographer face" trying to focus and aim the darned thing!  Nevertheless, here 'tis.

Dogs rescued from freezing Sturbridge park

Emaciated, infected, and way too skinny; a mama and papa dog and three puppies were dumped at Westville Lake in Sturbridge, and rescued on the coldest night of the year!

Great job Second Chance Animal Shelter and the good samaritan that saved these dogs!  Here is the video report from channel 5 WCVB.

http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/central-massachusetts/Dogs-abandoned-in-bitter-cold-in-Sturbridge-park/-/11983998/24112028/-/pf3cpgz/-/index.html

You can help out, go to Second Chance Animal Shelter's web site and make a donation.

Or, here at the gofundme page for these specific animals.

Do you know someone who has found themselves in a situation like this, where they've gotten in way over their heads with either too many dogs, the inability to afford medical care for their pets, or both?  There are options, many in fact.

Right here in Massachusetts is one of the only organizations of its kind, Fairy DogParents, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose only goal is to prevent the surrender of dogs to Massachusetts shelters if the family cannot afford to feed or medically care for their pet pooch.  This unique organization was founded by Marlo Manning in tribute to her dog, Ladybug.  Manning wanted to do something different to remember her dog, who passed away several years ago.  The organization has since gone on to be featured on NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams, and Manning was nominated as a CNN Hero in 2012.  I am pleased to be a volunteer for "FDP" (I contribute to their blog, and work at their booth sometimes at local events).  I have had the pleasure of spending time with Marlo Manning and her seemingly inexhaustible energy!  If you can't afford to care for your dog, FDP is there to help.  Just fill out an application and see if you qualify.

In addition, many area shelters and veterinarians offer low-cost, subsidized and even FREE health care. From inexpensive vaccination clinics and spay/neuter services, to nail trims and dental care, you can almost always find a bargain.  These folks want to help families keep their pets.

Finally, if you feel you have to surrender your pet, do so the right way... contact a shelter.  There is usually a small donation or fee requested, but if you ask friends and family to pitch in, you'd be surprised how easy it would be to collect the necessary money.  Dumping and abandoning pets is illegal, and just plain wrong.  Just don't do it!

So, guess what.... once their medical issues are resolved, all five of the dogs found in Sturbridge already have adoptive homes lined up!  Yay!  Here's a picture of one of the dogs, and a video of all five of them romping around, and some more pictures "just in" from Channel 5.  What could have turned out to be a tragedy, ended up having a happy ending.

More pictures, here:  http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/central-massachusetts/photos-neglected-dogs-found-in-bitter-cold/-/11983998/24113200/-/pfx621z/-/index.html

Dog fact number 5: The Guilty Dog Look

Photo courtesy of ForTheLoveofTheDog and GratefulDog on Facebook.  Instead of clicking "share" on FB or posting on Twitter, I post stuff here and it goes to all of my social networking accounts automatically.  Thanks.  KSM

#WordlessWednesday Top 10 Cat Rules

 equal time for the kitties!

Photo courtesy of CatWisdom101.com and Catty Cat's Corner on Facebook.  Instead of clicking "share" on FB or posting on Twitter, I post stuff here and it goes to all of my social networking accounts automatically.  Thanks.  KSM

#WordlessWednesday How NOT to Greet a Dog!

And I would add one more thing.... "Let the dog smell you!"  Humans who aren't dog-savvy always freak out at the smelling thing.  It is necessary for a dog to smell you, first!!  Dogs greet with nose first, then eyes, then ears.



Photo courtesy of doggiedrawings.net and GratefulDog on Facebook.  Instead of clicking "share" on FB or posting on Twitter, I post stuff here and it goes to all of my social networking accounts automatically.  Thanks.  KSM

8 Steps to Walking Your Dog in the Winter

8 Steps to Walking the Dog in the Winter by Vetstreet


Photo courtesy of VetStreet.  Instead of clicking "share" on FB or posting on Twitter, I post stuff here and it goes to all of my social networking accounts automatically.  Thanks.  KSM

Millennium Dog turns 14!

A big happy birthday shout out to Hobie, who turns 14 today!

Hobie is the inspiration for this blog, and my web site Millennium Dog Productions.  Of course, I found out there is a park called Millennium Dog Park in Florida, and there's a video game called Millennium Dog.  But we've had the name for 14 years now, so I think we were first.

Some folks have remarked that it is amazing how lucky we are to have Hobie at 14 years of age.  And, we are, of course, but we've also had a remarkable track record of pets who've grown old with us.

Here's the list:  (and some pictures below*)

Beagle, Samantha ("Sam"),16

Labrador Retriever, Timba, 18
Gray tabby cat, Filkin, 17
Orange tabby cat, Maggie, 20
Black cat, Mr. Kitty, 19
Border Collie Mix, Annie, 15
Orange tabby cat, Pointy, unknown, but old!!!
Hound extraordinaire, Hector, 10
(with the exception of Sam, and Annie, each of whom were in the custody of relatives at the time, and THEY made the decision to euthanize, we have never had to euthanize any of our pets!  They all died of natural causes!)

If anyone ever asked what's our secret, I would have to say that we provide a safe, loving home and we are fortunate enough to be able to afford high-quality food and the best in veterinary care.  I never really thought about it, though, to be honest.  We just love them and keep them safe and happy.  We don't give a lot of treats, no table scraps, and a good amount of exercise.

It's hard to see them grow old.  Hobie was once the vibrant, trouble-making, hot-shot male who would take off at a moment's notice and run the entire neighborhood.  He never went far, thank goodness.  He would hold his tail high and prance around like he was the king!  He needed at least 2 hours of exercise (long walks) every day or he would be bouncing off the walls.  He could jump all four feet off the floor and look me straight in the eye (I'm about 5-feet tall).  He did "small dog tricks" such as "sit pretty". His fur is the softest I've ever felt.  People always remark on how soft he is when they ask if they can touch him.  "oooooh, he's so soft!"  All that jumping and carrying on probably contributed to his very bad arthritis.  But Timba had arthritis, too, and she trudged forward until age 18.

2013 was rough for Hobie.  He was in the hospital twice, and we really thought we were going to lose him.  Thankfully, the vets were awesome and he pulled through and is as feisty as ever.  He even reminds me when it's time for his pain medication every 12 hours.  Never underestimate the ability of a companion pet to tell time!

So, happy 14th birthday to our Millennium Dog!

Filkin at LVF

Timba in Truro

Filkin

Pointy

Maggie May

Mr. Kitty 

Hobie and Hector

Timba

Sam

Ireland is lovely, but where are the dogs?

I'm back from ten days in Ireland and England, and very happy to be home.  I missed my dogs and cats so much.

Charlie watching me eat on my first night home

Cali happy to have me back, basking in the morning sun

Ireland is lovely.  No, it's more than lovely, it's out-and-out gorgeous, stunning and breathtaking.  The people are friendly, fun-loving, kind and attractive.  But where are all the dogs?

We took a day trip through the countryside to the farming community of Armagh, and I looked and looked and looked, and didn't see one dog.  We even visited friends way, way out in the country.  For sure we'd see a dog, right?  At one point, someone said two dogs were cutting through the yard.  I leapt out of my chair, but they disappeared behind a hedgerow before I could see them.  I felt like a lost soul asking, "Did you say there were two dogs?  Where?!"  I'm sure these people thought I was nuts.

There were plenty of sheep, but where's the iconic, stereotypical collie that might be herding them?  Absent.

Sheep in a field in the Irish countryside, on our way to Northern Ireland

We all know the story of poor Lennox and his family from Belfast -- they were ordered to give up Lennox because of his resemblance to a bully breed.  The story went worldwide, and millions of people were up in arms about Lennox, signing petitions and so forth.  Ok, they were from Belfast, since we were going to Belfast the next day, I figured for sure...  Again, no dogs.

One of the famous political murals in Belfast, depicting "The Troubles"

Well, I stand corrected, we saw three dogs in Ulster when we stopped at the American Folk Museum on our way back from Belfast. The people who had a border collie attached to the baby stroller must have thought me insane as I kept smiling and gawking at the lovely creature, trying to take a picture of it (I gave up and didn't even ask).  The man with the Golden Retriever service dog must have been equally skeeved at my behavior towards his faithful companion as I grinned from ear-to-ear but did not approach since he was a service animal.  The little gray dog that I saw immediately upon disembarking from the bus couldn't wait to hop into his owner's car to gain a safe distance from the smiling American lady.  I couldn't help myself, it had been days since I'd seen a live canine!  We saw sheep, we saw burros, but only those three dogs.

Burros in Ulster

England wasn't much different, although I have been there umpteen times, and spent most of my time in the city, I know for a fact that dogs are not absent from England... but they were this time.  Perhaps it was all that rain.  After all, the Queen herself is often seen with her beautiful corgis in tow.

Sheep in Stonehenge (and traffic)

I know the complete opposite is going to happen on my next trip, which will take me to Puerto Rico. I'm prepared for it to be quite like Tobago, with too many stray, un-neutered dogs running loose. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised.  Stay tuned.

Stray dog in Tobago

It's a family affair #christmaseve

My parents were the coolest people on the planet.  They would let me stay up until midnight on Christmas Eve, and I was allowed to open one of the many presents they always showered me with (my choice of any gift already under the tree).  For some strange reason, a memorable Christmas Eve that stands out in my mind was when I chose to open what I knew was a 45 R.P.M. record.  I didn't know which one it would be of the many I'd requested on my lengthy Santa Claus list.  I've collected recordings ever since I can remember.  My LP and 45 collection; my CD collection and the number of downloads on my various electronic devices rival one another for sheer enormity.  I love music.  No, more accurately, I am obsessed.  I get "addicted" and will often play the same songs or albums repeatedly for months at a time.

Me and my first dog, Sam.
I was about 11 y/o.
This certainly, was not at Christmas (bare feet in Massachusetts!)

Back in '71, I was eleven years old.  [Please don't do the math!  Thanks.]  I was hopelessly addicted to the song, "Family Affair" by Sly and the Family Stone.   If you don't know it, here, have a listen.  Just before midnight,  I opened the "45" record.  It was "Family Affair"!! I must have played it 5 times that night, on my parents' Magnavox stereo console (which I own today... it's in my basement).  I remember my mom remarking about the lyrics and vocals -- she hadn't heard the song before.  My dad, ever the music aficionado DID know the song, and grooved to it along with me.  I even played air guitar before it was called "air guitar".  Why this memory is so vivid, I do not know.  It was just a normal, everyday moment in the life of our little family.

Today, I got three wonderful Christmas Eve gifts.  All six of my beloved critters gathered in my kitchen simultaneously.  Granted, it was feeding time, but they never, ever all show up at once.  It's usually all three dogs (sometimes just two) and one cat at a time.  I took pictures, but they didn't come out great. They're just for me to look at when I start getting separation anxiety when I'm traveling later this week (didja know, grown up people can get that too? Yep... Check it out).

The second gift I got today was a handwritten letter, in the mail, from my father's Army buddy, "Bud" Rosen.  Those paying close attention might recall that I dedicated Volume 2 of MTAITW to Bud. Well, I had lost contact with him over the last several months.  He's 91, so I was a little worried when communications stopped a few months ago. I finally tracked him down by emailing his daughter -- he had moved to a new apartment, no longer has internet or email.  I sent him a card and a note in the regular mail, and said if you feel like writing back, please do.  I sorta thought maybe I wouldn't hear from him.   But all is well, and it was wonderful to hear from him on everything going on in his life. So, we've reverted to the old way of letter-writing through the good ol' U.S. mail.  (I like to think my father somehow arranged that!)

An earlier Christmas

The third gift was another snail mail item -- this time a Christmas card from "my second mom", Stella. She's my childhood friend's mother, and we grew up next door.  Our moms lived next door to each other for several decades.  Both houses were sold in 2010 within a few months of each other.  New, young families have taken over our corner.  It was just a quick note from Stella, but I always love hearing from her -- she is my kindred spirit in many ways, we have a lot of inside jokes and even though we aren't blood relations, I consider them just as much family as anyone else.

So, remember, no matter what kind of family you have, it's a family affair.

If you want to read a tale about another very special Christmas Eve from my childhood, click here.

The winner is...

I'm not a slacker, just busy!  I directly informed the winner of the Diamond Naturals Gift Basket Giveaway* that they had won, and I announced it on Facebook and Twitter, but I believe I forgot to post an update here on the blog itself.

Congratulations and happy holidays to Jozi the Corgi and the Pussycats!  I sincerely hope you'll enjoy the gift basket and can only imagine that it's filled with great stuff to keep you entertained for a while. Diamond Naturals is still preparing the baskets for shipment, so hold on tight, it is on its way!  That is, unless you've received it already!

Readers can follow Jozi and the pussycats' Twitter account here (and should!).  Here's a link to some very cute photos of Jozi, and I hope they don't mind but I'm borrowing my personal favorite

Not to be overshadowed are those awesome pussycats, Maddy and Sophie

Maddy

Sophie

*Original post, and giveaway, sponsored by Diamond Natural Pet Foods.

Meet the Bloggers Getting to Know You Blog Hop

Ok, I'm a day late (and a dollar short ha hahahah) because yesterday was NUTS, but I was told this event is going on through Christmas Day, so here goes:  I'm taking part in the Meet The Bloggers Blog Hop.  As such, I'm going to tell five things about myself that folks may or may not know (hopefully the latter, since how boring would it be if I told everyone stuff they already know?!).  They also want us to "come out from behind" the (camera, keyboard, computer), so you'll get a photo or two of yours truly to round out the equation.
Now, really, here goes!

Christmas, 2012 at Wiley Park

What’s your favorite non-animal related movie?  

Everyone knows this (look! I have failed already!):  Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" is my favorite movie in the whole world.  I can't wait to watch it this weekend.  I cry every time I see it, and I've seen it hundreds of times.  Maybe thousands.  I can recite the entire script along with the movie -- like one would sing along with a song!

What’s your favorite non-animal related book?  

My "pillar of the Earth", Nauset Lighthouse

"The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett" -- just thinking about this brilliant historical novel gives me a little thrill!

One of my favorite pictures of me!

Who’s your favorite actor?

I haven't got one.  I guess maybe it would be James Stewart, but he's long since gone.  The old Hollywood actors are untouchable.  None of "today's" actors compare (in my opinion).  Now, if you had asked about SINGERS!!  [Tori Amos, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Chuck Negron]

What’s one thing you have to do every day?

Coffee!

What do you wish you were more skilled at?

This one's easy:  construction, renovations, repairs, art and playing an instrument.  I always have to hire someone to do work around the house, and I wish I could just take out a board and some tools and do it myself.  I can "dabble" at the piano or organ, but can't play for real.  I can't draw anything!

Me, 1963

What one word would people who know you use to describe you?

Funny!

How is your pet most like you?

Separation anxiety.  Or just plain... anxiety!

Other than blogging, what are three things you do that bring you joy?

Well, I'm not certain blogging brings me joy, but anyway... these three things sure do (and these are "things", not people):  The beaches of Cape Cod; reading on Cape Cod; riding my bike on the Cape Cod Rail Trail.  

Here's me, doing two out of the three joyful things.
The beach is down the street.
(Can't read while riding a bike!)

So, I answered 7 questions.  

This blog hop is hosted by these wonderful folks who blog: (copied and pasted from one of their blogs. Hope you don't mind, and thanks!)

• Amy - Go Pet Friendly ,A.J. – I Still Want More Puppies ,Jodi - Kol’s Notes,
• Mel - No Dog About It  ,Julie - The Daily Dog Blog ,Jennifer - My Brown Newfies
• Kim - Cindy Lu’s Muse ,Lauren -Life With Desmond ,Leslie - Bringing Up Bella
• Jodi - Heart Like a Dog ,Kristine - Rescued Insanity ,Peggy - Peggy’s Pet Place
• Dawn - NEPA Pets

It's a pile of dog books!

Here is a photo of my pile of unread books, 2014 calendars, and my journals where I wrote the yet-to-be-published "Hector's Story" and other stories.  The pile sits, ready to be brought on my two upcoming trips, in the hope that I'll get some reading AND writing done.  (Both trips are work assignments, so it's highly unlikely I'll get any of this done, but there are some long airplane rides so who knows?)

This morning, I had two emails from the wonderful W. Bruce Cameron.  I read his book, "A Dog's Purpose"  exactly one year before Hector's sudden death.  Bruce's amazing story helped me cope with the loss of Hector, and also helped me adopt two puppies not long after Hector's passing.  If you haven't read the book, it's about a dog who gets repeatedly reincarnated.  I always think I had to adopt Cooper seven months after getting his litter mate Charlie Brown because Hector's personality was so huge, so much larger than life, that his reincarnation required two dogs just to carry the love, and Cooper was accidentally adopted by the wrong family at first.  He had to find his way to us (or back to us, if you believe that reincarnation stuff!).  At least, I like to think so, hey, it makes me feel better, what can I say?

Back to today's emails:  one was a reminder that if you bought Cameron's new book, "The Dogs of Christmas" you could get a handy-dandy special gift if you post a photo of the book online no later than today ("works well under pressure", that is me).  So I figured what the heck, let's do it .  I went to pull the tome from my pile of unread books, and lo... there are TWO copies of "The Dogs of Christmas". How and why the heck did I do that?!  I have no idea.  So anyway, here is my photo and I'm going to submit it on Cameron's web site and see what little Christmas gift I can snag for myself.   Yeah, I'm a little bit Grinch-y, ok?

The remaining seven books in the pile can't really be seen in this picture (except for Cesar Millan's latest, which I still haven't read 5 months after getting it at his show).  They are ALL dog-related, except for two!  Oh dear, my obsession has been revealed, as if my readers didn't know already. Included are two autographed copies (what?!  Two?!) of Chuck Negron's memoir, "Three Dog Nightmare", which arguably isn't about dogs, but hey, close enough.   Those are NOT being taken on the trip.

Cesar Millan and me just 2 months
after Hector died.  Cesar autographed my journal
in which I wrote the Hector Story.

Cesar Millan, Junior, me, my friend
Lori (and her little one Nicolas lol!)

  

Me and Chuck Negron!
A teenage girl's dream come true!

P.S.  See that Tripawds 2014 calendar?  Cooper is one of the featured three-legged stars!!  He's the one in the chair... the other guy depicted on the same calendar page is a sort of look-alike tripawd named Clover.  Very clever of the folks over at Tripawds, eh?

It's snowtime, folks!

Givin' a big ol' raspberry to snow!!

Charlie Brown says, "Open up that door, and lemme in!"

Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You

Hey, when I was in kindergarten, we performed The King and I and I've never forgotten any of the songs -- no kidding, from like 5 years old!

So anyway, on December 18th, many of us in the pet-blogging community are taking an aside from pet-focused blogging and telling a little bit about ourselves.  It's called the Meet The Bloggers Hop, and I'm going to join in with dozens of other bloggers to tell little tidbits about the various wizards behind these bloggy curtains!

Tune in on December 18th, right here on k2's k9s and kitties.

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Coming soon! Original essays from k2k9.com

The last six or eight weeks have been so busy, I've barely had time to breathe.  I decided to move my domains k2k9.com and millenniumdog.com to this blog to consolidate in one place (and I had issues with complicated hosting options through the company that hosts my domains).

So anyway, as a result all my stories about my pets (both living and dead) Timba, Hobie, Hector, Fritz, Sam, Filkin, Maggie and Mr. Kitty no longer appear online.  Not to worry, they are on my computers and backup drives for safekeeping!  And soon, very soon, I'll self-publish them in print and e-book format.  I should point out that the aforementioned pets are just the ones I had written about on k2k9.com --  I haven't yet written the stories about Charlie Brown, Cooper, Tux, Newman and Cali; nor the long-ago pet companions Chi-Chi, Nigel, Slippers, Annie and Connie's cats that we fostered at the Farm back in the '90s!  So many pets I have shared my life with, how fortunate!

These essays will eventually appear here on this blog on the main menu -- I haven't quite figured out that step yet.  Stay tuned!!

For now, an update on Hobie:  he was in the hospital again this week.  His back legs had given out on him suddenly and we got him standing up again, but then he would not lie down.  After a sleepless night for all of us in the household, we brought him to emergency and even though it was pricey, he was taken great care of and restored to fully-functioning dog -- complete with the joys of an elderly god on steroids!  Just in time for the first snow, which he handled like a champ.  No price is too high to save our beloved Hobie's life.  Dog willing, he will be 14 next month.  He's our Millennium Dog.  (Here's a video from a few years ago lol)

#WordlessWednesday #Thanksgiving

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I am thankful that my elderly dog forgives me!!  He was left out in the rain by mistake last night by dumb mama (um... that'd be me [hangs head in total shame]).  

My attempt at a "shaming" picture.

Here's what happened: I turned my back for a second, and left the slider open for the two younger dogs. They came right back in after "doing their business" in the rain. Unbeknownst to me, while I had my attention elsewhere, Hobie went out!  I shut the door and went back to bed.

Our ever-resourceful dog decided, after (yes) opening the gate (the gate that I need TWO HANDS to open and close, mind you), that maybe barking like a mad dog from the next door neighbor's yard, in the DARK, just might get my attention.  It worked.  Thank goodness I recognize his voice!  I had no idea he was outside!  I thought he was sound asleep in the other room!

To my credit, I ran outside barefoot, sans coat, at dawn, in the middle of a storm, in November, in New England, on an almost holiday, and found him sort of disoriented at the back fence, on the neighbor's side.   He had exited from the front fence where the gate remained, wide open.  I don't know why he couldn't find his way back, and that really bothers me.  I sure learned my lesson, from now on I do a head count no matter what!

Anything for my beloved dawg.

Hobie:  "WTF, mom?!"

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

#WordlessWednesday Cooper & Charlie Brown reunite with their mama & sis

Cooper kept hogging the ball

Can't tell these guys & gals apart!  This isn't Charlie, it's his sister, Tess!

Mama Katie taking it all in.

"Gosh, did I really give birth to those two idiots?"

Charlie doesn't know what to make of Rico Suave, our foster mom's latest cutie.

On the way home, Cooper says, "Can we do it again next year?"