BarB’s BloG

The new year could not have been brought in with a bigger bang! Boise State University played Oklahoma State in the 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, on January 1, 2007. If you missed this game, shame on you! What you missed was one of the greatest college football games in the history of the sport. We have finally earned some respect. I’m still reeling from the excitement as is the entire community of Boise and the state of Idaho. What a game, what a game! As a BSU football season ticket holder, all I can say is, I can hardly wait for next football season!!

Congratulations Broncos!!!

Broncos on the Blue!

For the first time in my life, I found myself without a dog, and the urge to fill that void was too strong for me to ignore. I missed the companionship, friendship, and total unconditional love that comes from having a pet.

I made my way to the pet store, and this is what greeted me when I walked in:

That was it for me. There was no question but that she was to be part of our family. She was coming home with me.

That was almost 14 years ago. Her name is Keesha. A beautiful Keeshond who soon became one of the great true loves of my life. We lost Keesha a few days ago. The bladder cancer she had been diagnosed with about a year ago finally was too much for her. My daughter and I made the decision that we had to let her go. In all of my years, this was the single hardest thing I have ever had to do.

Rest in peace my sweet girl. You will forever be missed and will always be loved.

Keesha / January 9, 1993 - November 28, 2006

The Rainbow Bridge - Author unknown

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor, those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing — they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent, his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face, your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together …

Well, all I can say is, if you have never been to a Pug Halloween Party, you have no idea what you’re missing! Our local Pug Meetup Group had their annual Halloween Party on Saturday, October 28th. I would say 50 or 60 Pugs and their owners is a great turnout! My daughter made a great point: It was very therapeutic; just made you stand there and smile. If you were able to attend this and not smile, there is something seriously wrong with you!

Fun times! All the photos can be found HERE. Here are a couple of my favorites:

If you’ve got a great costume for your dog already, the next step is to buy a Halloween costumes for yourself!  If you’ve got children you’ll also probably need some great kids costumes such as Pirates of the Caribbean costumes, Star Wars costumes, or superhero costumes.  Halloween gives people (and animals!) of all ages a way to dress up and act out of character for a night.

Between my day job and my night job, I’m finding it difficult to get much done these days. However, I actually got my 2007 calendar ready earlier this year! Decided to go with a flower theme again. Can never have too many pictures of flowers

2007 Calendar - Floral Appeal

A preview is available here. It can be purchased here.

So, I have one day off this week - today. Beautiful fall day; gorgeous falls colors outside; perfect photo opportunities! Yes, let’s get outside and take some pictures … something I have not had time to do in over a month. Get ready to go, grab the camera, decided to check the battery to make sure it was full, and to my utter astonishment, my trusty Sony DSC F717 is broken. Nothing in the viewfinder or LCD screen. All displays work; no picture. I felt like crying! Hopefully, the extended warranty I purchased will cover whatever is ailing it. However, I have been thinking for some time about moving up to a DSLR. It’s time. So as soon as possible (read–> as soon as I have the money), I have decided to go with the Canon Rebel XTi. Great reviews, and I think a perfect start to my move up to a DSLR. Very exciting!

So, no autumn pictures today, but managed to dig one up from last year.

Saturday, my daughter and I attended our first Boise Pug Meetup at the park at Ft. Boise. It was a hoot! They meet once a month. There must have been 40+ Pugs running around having an absolute blast! I know our Phoebe certainly was excited, albeit, a bit overwhelmed. It was difficult, at best, to get very many of the Pugs in one picture. They didn’t stand still for very long — ever. I did manage to get quite a few shots, though, of most of the Pugs that were there. Those can be seen here. We plan on attending the meetups regularly. What a great way to spend a Saturday morning!

If you’ve got a pug of your own, you should look into getting some dog health insurance to keep them healthy. Pet insurance will help you keep your dog care costs stable and help reduce the cost of any emergency vet bills. When you decide you want to buy pet insurance you should start by comparing pet insurance policies so you can get the best deal possible.