For the Love of Chester

Winter White Wednesday

2012-01-25T05:31:00.000-05:00

Wheel of Fortune Wednesday

2012-01-18T05:28:00.000-05:00

A Bark In The Dark

2012-01-13T06:58:00.000-05:00

In 1988 a film was released in America called "A Cry in the Dark" and it starred award winnin' actress, Meryl Streep. For those of you who have never heard of the movie, it is the true story about the Chamberlain family who go on a campin' trip in the Outback of Australia. While the nine week old baby is sleepin' in the tent, the family enjoys a barbecue along with fellow campers. As Lindy Chamberlain - the mother of the baby - returns to check on her, she sees a dingo runnin' off with sumpthin' in its mouth and upon findin' the child missin', immediately cries out "A dingo has taken my baby!" Public opinion soon turns against the Chamberlains and to make a long story short, she is accused of killin' her child and they are taken to court where both parents are convicted of murder. While the father is given a suspended sentence, the mother is sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour. Three years pass and when the jacket of the baby is discovered at a large sandstone rock formation, Lindy is immediately released from prison and all convictions against the couple are overturned.

By now you're probably wonderin' why I brought this up. Well you see, five years ago to this very day, I also was stolen from my mother at the tender age of nine weeks. Bein' the alert young'n that I was, I can still remember my dear sweet mother barkin' out, "A dingbat has taken my baby!" Although I do not dwell on the abduction, it does bring a tear to my eye when I think about it. I have tried to focus on the positive aspects of my 1826 days spent in captivity; such as the fact that I have been able to get the dingbats completely wrapped around my little dew claw. Let me put it this way:

Needles and thread: $10

Replacin' worn out sneakers: $250

Classes to turn clueless PUs into amateur handlers: $375

Countless bags of decent quality dawg food and nomalicous treats: $1500+

Vet bills: $A,lot

One pup bringin' hours upon hours of joy into

the otherwise borin' life of a couple of two leggers:

PRICELESS.

There are some things that money can't buy

For everythin' else ~ there's Master Card.

Chester

;0=)

Wheat Whacker Wednesday

2012-01-11T05:58:00.000-05:00

Before and Afterthoughts

2012-01-09T05:48:00.000-05:00

With the promise of unseasonably warm weather predicted for this past Saturday, I put my mental telepathy powers to use and tossed the notion into Mom's noggin that a trip to the dawg park was just what this good ol' boy could use. I knew it had taken hold when I heard her say that she was goin' to make a trip to the little out-of-the-way butcher shop that just so happens to be in the same neighborhood as the dawg park. My powers of suggestion might need a little practice; for she did take me to the dawg park, but I had also mentally suggested that I get a snack from the bag of goodies that went into the cooler, which unfortunately did not happen. Oh well, I guess battin' .500 is still nuthin' to sneeze at.

As in most places, when you get a couple warm January days in a row, the frozen tundra turns into a bog of slippery, glorious brown goo called mud. Saturday was no exception as can be seen from the followin' pics.

Yeeee-Hawwwww!

Maxwell showed up a couple minutes later and bein's how we look a whole lotta alike and both wearin' brown collars to boot, our PUs had trouble knowin' which dawg was which.

Note the little 2 legger's sneakers. They were white when she first got there.

All colors of Labradorks showed up - although the yellow lab was not allowed to stay oncet his PUs saw the condition of the park. I guess they like his yellow labradorkness and wanted to keep him that way.

We quickly collaborated on how we could snap that leash off so he could make a run for it. Alas - they were on to our secret plan and scurried him quickly away.

Didn't they know the drinks were free?

I had to stop for a quick check of my undercarriage ~ just
long enough to make sure my hose wasn't clogged.

My exhaust pipe was good to go also.

Freckles of mud highlight my happy face for the ride home.

SCREEEEEEEECH!!!

I never gave it a thought to use my mental telepathy powers

to tell her to not stop at the

DOGONNIT!

It's Monday and let this be a lesson to you: when usin' your powers of suggestion this week, make sure not to forget any details.

Chester ;0=)

*For live action video - Click here for Video 1 and here for Video 2.

Promises are Made to be Broken

2012-01-06T05:34:00.000-05:00

How's about you?

Are you still standin' on the promises that you made for the 2012?

Chester ;0=)

Weiner Noshin' Wednesday

2012-01-04T05:49:00.000-05:00

2011 ~ 2012

2011-12-31T10:18:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends - Chester's Mom here:
Forgive me if I ramble - I'm not used to having the platform but I'm feeling a bit reflective this morning and felt the need to share my thoughts. Chester was uncharacteristically willing to let me speak my piece. As I put the Christmas cards on a pile to make the house seem a little more tidy and organized I think of the friends I've collected over the past few years. So many I've met simply because of this Big Brown pile of fur sitting on the floor beside me. As varied as the cards themselves, so are the friends who have added new perspectives and insights into worlds I may never see first-hand. If any of us were able to interact on a daily basis, I wonder how much closer or maybe even more distant our relationships may be. Virtual friendships are in a way, easy - for we've come together because of a mutual interest. Again, many of my virtual relationships are because of the common interest, respect and love we have for our canine companions. We don't always have that common interest with those that we are "forced" to deal with everyday, such as family and coworkers. Having said that, I think there is a reason we have people in our lives with different interests and personalities and yes, even those that really tend to rub us the wrong way. Speaking for myself, these folks have stretched me and also made me look for strength that I did not think I had in me. I've grown in maturity (believe it or not) and they have also made me realize that I too have it in me to annoy and frustrate others and possibly I need to make a change in my behavior. Yeah - take note of that my virtual friends - I am not as perfect as you thought!! Hah - had you fooled, didn't I? Let's move on quickly!

Sorry to say, this blog has been a little neglected here in the past few months. With the craziness of trying to get ready for Christmas and some other items that cropped up in November, I considered the possibility of ending it and making this the final post. But as I sit here and put my thoughts on the screen before me, I know for a fact that I am hooked. Maybe not as addicted to it as I once thought - yet I have to admit, that I feel a certain satisfaction that nothing else has ever quite matched. So for now, "For the Love of Chester" will continue to limp - no, make that meander (I like that word better) - along as I have time.

I think some of this outpouring of thoughts comes from a newly-found blog that many of you already know - Romping and Rolling in the Rockies. Having heard of them through Bunny over at Tails and Tales, I have gone over and introduced Chester and myself. If you go there, you will instantly see the connection because the blog header picture is that of a gorgeous female Chocolate lab standing on a peak with vistas of snow-covered mountains in the background. Having a weakness for Labs and mountains I had to read more! The pictures of "K", the Choco lab, the wildlife and the scenery are breathtaking and I scrolled quickly trying to take it all in. My scrolling stopped short when I saw the picture of the mountain bike with tires covered in snow. Another love of ours is biking, which also has taken a back seat to "life". We ride occasionally but this blogger makes a point of doing a sunrise ride every morning with her lab. Ahhhhh - what a wonderful life and one that I can probably only dream of. But here too, is the "rub"; this perfect life with it's perfect scenery also is experiencing the inevitable but also, grim side of life. It has just been discovered that this gorgeous lab has cancer. <spit> A nasty word that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth and one that we never want to hear, but most have had to deal with in some aspect. If you have time, stop over to see them and let them know your feelings. I have watched time and time again as bloggers congregate to celebrate and comfort through the highs and lows we experience. We never want to be on that end of the spectrum, but I for one find comfort in knowing that I will not be alone when "that" time comes for Chester and I to go our separate ways.

OK - eyes are filling up so I think this would be a good time to end this. Not to mention that there are parents patiently waiting for me to fill the pill box for next week and also to show they still matter in life. Plus there's also a Big Brown labrador who is (im)patiently waiting for his next adventure, which in this case is amateur therapy dog to his grandparents.

Thank you all for stopping by and and even bigger thank you for those of you who who continue to leave comments even when I rarely get a chance to stop by at your blogs to see your fun & creative posts. It's a goal of mine to do better in 2012.

I can't leave you with words alone, so I'll add this shot of Chester. Granted it's not the best picture ever but I think it's fitting in that as we look towards an unknown future, we can be assured that there will be some snotty nose-marks on the window of our lives. We can either bust our butts trying to keep it perfect and clean, or we can learn to live with them and accept that perfection is not in the having, but in the acceptance of what will be.

I wish you all a safe and Happy New Year's Eve

and a blessed 2012.

Chester's Mom ;0-)

Pee. Ess. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Don't worry folks, I'll be baaaaaaack and you won't have to listen to Mom again for a long, long time!

Chester ;0=)

Open Invitation

2011-12-30T05:32:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

I'm wishin' you all the very best in 2012.

Chester ;0=)

Whistlestop Wednesday

2011-12-28T05:54:00.000-05:00

Wonderful Web of Friends Wednesday

2011-12-21T06:07:00.000-05:00

Window Shoppin' Wednesday

2011-12-14T07:31:00.000-05:00

Miracle Wishes Wednesday

2011-12-07T05:57:00.000-05:00

Wok Wednesday

2011-11-30T05:44:00.000-05:00

Holey Moley!!!

2011-11-28T07:07:00.000-05:00

Hiya folks! I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgivin' day and if'n you are a Black Friday shopper I hope you scored lotsa great deals. I, my ownself had a dogtor appointment - which wasn't too bad until he decided to squirt that Bordetella juice up my nose as a prevention against kennel cough. I won't go into detail about that other than there were a couple vet techs who had their hands full.

I'll say no more.

I don't know if Mom was feelin' bad for lettin' the dogtor do that to me, or if she was still guilt trippin' over havin' done nuthin' for my birthday. Whatever it was, she stopped at the local pet store and scooped me up a couple new toys. It was high time I had a new football, my other one has been in need of replacement for quite some time. (He now resides at the local dump just in case you are wonderin'.) The other toy is different ~ I never had one that came with pre-made holes.

I kinda like my new Holey Moley....

....bein' all squishy and stuff and easy to carry.

If you should happen to hear Mom hollerin' "Holy Moley" now, it's not 'cuz of sumpthin' I did - it's 'cuz she wants me to retrieve my new toy.

But I guarantee, if somebody tries to do this to my Moley, I'll bite 'em.

Holey Moley ~ it's time for us to get back work again already!!!

Chester ;0=)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T09:34:00.000-05:00

Takin' just a minute today to give thanks.....

.....for sunny mornings.

.....that I don't have to perform in a dawg show today
and can be free to run wild.

.....for smells - and lots of 'em!

.....for high places where I can scan the horizon.

.....for lots of room to stretch my Big Brown legs.

.....for teeth to pull jaggers out.

.....for nice places to rest when I'm tired.

.....that the photographer knows when
I have had enough of the picture takin'.

The list could go on and on, but what I am thankful for most ~

is for the family and friends that I am blessed with.

Happy Thanksgivin' to one and all!

Chester ;0=)

Pee.Ess. I can't believe I almost forgot foodables ~ for which I am very thankful!!!

Punkin' is very good for dawgs - right???

Fowl Wishes Wednesday

2011-11-23T05:37:00.000-05:00

WHOOOPS Wednesday

2011-11-16T07:31:00.000-05:00

Let There Be Cake!

2011-11-15T06:55:00.000-05:00

A Tuesday post, you ask? Yeah, well bein's how it's my BIRTHDAY today,

I thought it might be good to look back over the FIVE whole years

my Chocolatey-ness has been on this earth.

Please go here to see my youtube video while I go sniff out my cake.

Lab Tested

2011-11-14T07:35:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, me and my PUs were drivin' along when Mom's head snapped to the right as she noticed a big square of fence at a somewhat nearby people park. We've gone there to walk before but we could plainly see that sumpthin' new was in the works. Mom hollered "I think that's gonna be a dawg park!" We had other things to attend to that day and couldn't stop to check it out. But yesterday, Dad and my Uncle John got together to do he-man stuff so I was left alone with Mom. I suggested we go investigate what we had seen earler and so we did.

As soon as we got there and saw the other dawgs playin', I voiced my opinion that there needed to be some Chocolate in the congregation, which was 90% lab brats, 10% other dawgs. We came to find out that the dawg park is not even officially open yet, but that didn't stop us from givin' it a thorough testin'.

Here I am meetin' my new friends, Lila and her brother whose name I did not catch, and Jovi who looked like some sort of Basenji mix. Her PUs didn't know for sure, 'cuz she had been adopted from Better Days animal shelter.

The blondes were teamin' up on me here....

and I loved every minute of it.

I thought mebbee stickin' my tongue out at Gus would make him

give up his tennis ball, but he was not givin' it to anybody but his Mom.

This is Sarah - Gus's Cattle dawg sister. She is about 9 years old and adopted too. Her Mom of two months said she hadn't been socialized much so this was somewhat new, and stressful to her. She did good and only bared her teeth at me once when I tried to smell her breath. I think she had a good time anyway.

Here comes Jovi again - she's a really good kisser. Not that I would know, but she planted several on Mom which made her laugh so I'm assumin' she must be a pretty good kisser.

Molly came late but it didn't take her long to get into the swing of things.

Mom gave her a good back scratchin' and remarked at how calm she was.

Whatever you're into I guess....

I tried out the dawg only waterin' hole many times

'cuz I didn't wanna run outta pee markin' fluid.

We all finally went our separate ways but I think I can speak for all my new friends,

that the dawg park has been been

and approved!!!

So....here it is, Monday again. I hope the work week doesn't test you so badly that you

have trouble puttin' your very own stamp of approval on it.

Chester ;0=)

Woodland Watchdog Wednesday

2011-11-09T05:55:00.000-05:00

Cabin Fever

2011-11-07T07:29:00.000-05:00

It's hard to find words to express how I feel about my recent bout with cabin fever ~ so I will not try. I'll allow the pictures to speak for themselves.

I can honestly say - without a doubt - that I can hardly wait

until I am overcome with cabin fever again.

But, it does take a couplea days to recuperate from cabin fever so

if'n you call I may not answer - just let a message. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Until then, have a great week!

Chester ;0=)

Woolly Wednesday

2011-11-02T05:38:00.000-04:00

Dreary Monday

2011-10-31T08:01:00.000-04:00

Bein' the first day of the work week, Monday always seems a bit dreary. But I'm here to tell ya that if'n you look hard enough, you can always find a bright spot. I highly suggest that when you find your very own bright spot, grab hold of it.....

.....and run with it!!!

Once you put your mind to it, it's much easier than you think ~ and you'll be surprised at how colorful the rest of the week may become.

Chester ;0=)

Home Makeover ~ Big Brown Edition

2011-10-28T05:37:00.000-04:00

After one hundred and fourteen LONG days of our kitchen bein' out of order, I am happy - NO make that ECSTATIC to announce that our kitchen is once again open and functional.

(Crowd goes wild as the new addition is revealed)

Come on in, I'll show ya 'round.

Because the kitchen grew, so also did my room. My PUs call it the mud room which may not look muddy now, but given time, I will see to it that it lives up to it's name. I will spend many a day here meditatin' on life, critters and foodables.

(Much better than before, don't you think?)

My room now has runnin' water so fresh drinks will always be available. I also think that if I shut the door and the water runs long enough, I could turn this whole mud room into my own indoor swimmin' pool.

The kitchen now has plenty of storage shelves to hold the tools necessary for creatin' nomalicious foodables.

This next pic is of what I believe to be one of the greatest inventions ever.

Mom calls it a "Whirl-a-gig" but the technical term is "Lazy Susan"

Whatever you wanna call it, the turnin' shelves are perfect for storin' cats, crackers, or cats named Cracker. Thanks to Nigel Bugger's kitteh for helpin' to demonstrate my theory.

"Round and round he goes, where he stops.......nobody knows!!!"

Once the cabinetry was put into place, the countertops had to be installed. I won't go into detail but my PUs had troubles figgerin' out what they liked best. In fact, they had settled on two different styles and designs before finally pickin' this last one. They said it was hard when they only had a small sample like this to choose from:

I think it was meant to be 'cuz oncet it was installed, Mom and I couldn't hardly believe our eyes when we realized that the countertop very closely resembles Zoe's furs - my gal pal over at Dogs Rock!!

As cool as that is, I still had to put the new countertop to the surfability test.

Yep, the new countertop is totally surf-able. I just hope it doesn't decide to take off at break-neck speed like Zoe does. If so, I could be in for one wild ride!

Next thing to be taken care of was appliances. Figgerin' I could save my PUs some cash, I promptly volunteered for the position of dishwasher....

....but when Mom told me that yellow cord had to be inserted into an outlet, I quickly withdrew my offer. That's way too kinky for this Big Brown dawg!

Ok, that about sums it up but I'll leave you with a couple of before and after pics:

(South Wall before)

(South Wall after)

(North Wall before)

(North Wall after)

The PUs still have some cosmetic things to do like paint that door - but who cares as long as our home is once again filled with the odors of yummy foodables bein' cooked, along with tasty tidbits frequently fallin' to the floor in the process!!!

UPDATE!!!

The tile backsplash was installed yesterday and as you're readin' this, Mr. Tile Man is probably smearin' the grout all over it to finish the job.

This is a pre-grout/sneak peek photo:

Thanks for stoppin' by and takin' a tour of our new kitchen.

You can let your tips in the jar at the back door.

I accept VISA, cash and/or biscuits.

I hope you have a yummy weekend!!!

Chester ;0=)

HalloWeen Wednesday

2011-10-26T08:10:00.000-04:00

Don't Blame the Camera.....

2011-10-24T08:04:00.002-04:00

.....it's just that this weekend went by so fast ~ it was all a blur.

If you need me, this is where you'll find me today.

Chester ;0=)

Wrestlin' Wednesday

2011-10-19T06:48:00.000-04:00

Wisdom Wednesday

2011-10-12T05:44:00.000-04:00

I Can See Clearly Now.....

2011-10-10T05:45:00.000-04:00

......that Mom made a spectacle of me this weekend.

If you're lucky enough to have the day off to celebrate

Columbus findin' the Americas ~ enjoy!

For the rest of us who have to go to work,

see if'n you can't discover a little fun until your ship comes in.

Chester ;0=)

Waterfall Wednesday

2011-10-05T07:27:00.000-04:00

Star Wars Wednesday

2011-09-28T05:46:00.000-04:00

WW4K (Will Work for Kibble)

2011-09-26T13:41:00.000-04:00

"The Life of Riley" was a popular American radio situation comedy series from the 1940's. In 1949 it was adapted into a feature film and then it bcame a long runnin' television show in the 1950's. The first season, well-known Jackie Gleason starred in the role of Riley and then William Bendix took over the role for the next six seasons. Bendix's character was (get this!) Chester A. Riley, a blunderin' wing riveter at the fictional Cunningham Aircraft plant in California. His frequent exclamation of "What a revoltin' development this is!" became a very popular catch phrase of the era.

This brings me to my point: a revoltin' development also occurred here over the weekend. All was goin' down per our usual weekend ritual, my breakfast consistin' of 2 cups of kibble lightly seasoned with a fish oil tablet and a half a bucket of water, give or take a couple slurps. A trip outside to take care of bizness and check the perimeters for illegals, then back inside to await what sort of entertainment my PUs had in store for me.

I soon realized that I would not be accompanyin' Mom to see my GrandPUs - sumpthin' about them havin' a lot of important papers to be sorted and not needin' me there to help. I pride myself on my ability to sort and shred what I deem to be unnecessary, but - whatever! That meant that I would be with Dad who spends most of his time outside which is just fine by me. I only had to do one more thing before Mom left and that was to remind her that my kibble bag was near empty. I also informed her that if she didn't take care of the situation, I would not be held responsible for my actions.

The day unfolded and I supervised Dad as he took care of the outside chores. To lighten his load and to prevent dullness from settin' in, I took my ball to him occassionally so he was not all work and no play. Much was accomplished by the time that Mom finally rolled in. To my delight, she unloaded a brand spankin' new bag of kibble. Premature drool started to form on my jowls even though I knew I had a few hours before dinner would be served.

Finally the wait was over and Mom asked me if I wanted my supper. DUH! Like why would you even ask? Of course I am always ready to eat. My exterior portrait of patience belied the waves of tumult washin' through my innerds. You see, I have been ~~brainwashed~~ taught that I must wait for the "okay" before divin' in.

Chester's Mom: Okay!

(slurp, crunch, lick, crunch, inhale, lick, slurp..........head tilts with question)

Chester: Excuse me, I do believe you shorted me.

Chester's Mom: I did not short you - this is your portion from here on out.

Chester: Nope, I distinctly counted and I am 43 pieces of kibble short.

Chester's Mom: That was intentional and like I said, this is your portion for each meal starting today.

Chester: You've got some 'splainin' to do and you need to start NOW!!!

Apparently I was already startin' to feel faint from weakness because the words that I was hearin' come outta her mouth were beyond comprehension. She was sayin' that the 2 legger who sells my food told her that the diagram on the food bag that shows the rate of kibble to be dispensed per weight of dog is for workin' dawgs and generally not the rate for your average household pet. My mind cleared for just a second because I know for sure that my job title as head of Homeland Security is clearly that of a workin' dawg.

Chester: So tell me again Mom, why am I still bein' shorted 43 pieces of kibble?

Chester's Mom: You are correct in that you are head of Homeland Security around here and I feel much safer knowing that no groundhogs or squirrels will invade the comforts of our home but....your job is not the same as a dog who is on the go all day long. Your days in bed are gradually starting to soften your shape and I'd like to stop this progression before it becomes a problem.

Chester: Look here woman, I am comfortable in my own skin and am not tryin' to impress anybody with a rock hard body.

Chester's Mom: It's too late, your father and I have already discussed this and we both agree you're on the verge of becoming overweight. You do realize don't you, that if you are overweight, you are not going to be as fast and could affect your groundhog count.

Oh no!!! Dad's been brainwashed too. Now I really got my work cut out for me.

It's Monday and as you can see, I'm gonna do whatever it takes

to earn my kibble this week, as I'm sure you will too.

I hope your benefits are better'n mine.

Chester ;0=)

Trashy Thoughts Thursday

2011-09-22T10:20:00.000-04:00

Four Wheeler Wednesday

2011-09-14T05:50:00.000-04:00

Pool Boy

2011-09-12T07:51:00.000-04:00

It's been a long, hot summer around here and bein's how my favorite lake was closed down due to some kinda bacterial issue, I didn't get to go swimmin' there like I normally do. The most water activity I got was at my Pappy's spring which is fun but it's not very deep and does not allow me to dawgie paddle like a labradork such as myself should.

When I heard that the local pool was allowin' a special day just for dawgs, I begged Mom to toss all her plans aside and take me...and so she did. She coulda just dropped me off and left me there because once I saw the blue water and all the dawgs partayin' on the other side of the fence, I knew exactly what to do.

Chester: BARK! BARK! BARRRRRRRRRRRK!!!!!

Chester's Mom:Shhhhhhhh! Just a minute!

Chester: A minute? Your "minutes" are like hours. Get me inside that fence NOW before I blow a gasket.

Chester's Mom: I need to make sure I have everything in your backpack.

Chester: I do not need anythin'! BARK! BARK! BARRRRRRRRRRK!!!!

(Hard to believe but I can be quite obnoxious when I see sumpthin' I want)

Anyway, she FINALLY left me out and we proceeded to the pool area. At the sound of the leash becomin' unhooked, I was gone faster than you can say "Titanic"

Without further ado, here are the pics from my pool partay.

There was a whole lotta toy swappin' goin' on....

(Mom is a little concerned about my kleptomaniac ways.)

....and the Blonde seemed concerned I might not give hers back.

She had to enlist the help of her Big Brown brother to snatch it away from me.

This is the big dawg pool ~ there were some little dawgies in the kiddie pool. I know 'cuz I ran thru it just to say hello and to see what was goin' on there.

Sumtimes it was just too inconvenient to swim to the steps to get out.

Once the Blonde left, I had (my own) Wubba to keep me company.

I always heard that 2 leggers get excited when they see sumpthin' Brown floatin' in the water,

but they seemed quite unconcerned about it today.

I was so tired that even though Mom was goin' well over the speed limit down a back road and takin' pics at the same time, I coulda cared less. I was havin' sweet dreams of clear blue waters and wet dawg fun.

You can bet your bottom biscuit that I can hardly wait for the end of summer next year,

and have the calendar marked so we never miss the local pool closin' down again.

Woofs and pooled slobbers,

Chester ;0=)

Washington Wetdown Wednesday

2011-09-07T07:36:00.000-04:00

Labor Intensive

2011-09-05T07:28:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed my increased absence in DogBlogville over the last few weeks, or mebbee 'cuz it's summer you got better things to do than read about the life and times of this Chocolate dawg. Either way, I'm not one to point paws but ~~it's all my PU's fault~~ I've been absent because of all the work that's been goin' on in what useta be my favorite room of the house ~ the kitchen. I know what you're thinkin' "that project started way back in April" and you'd be correct if'n you're considerin' when Frankentree met his fate. Things settled down a bit and then on July 2nd, my Uncle John came over and along with Dad, removed everythin' but the kitchen sink. Then I guess you could also say the sink gained it's independence from our kitchen on July 4th.

My floppy ears sat straight up last weekend when I heard the PUs sayin' we were gettin' down to crunch time ~ but just as quickly went back down again when I realized there were no foodables involved in this supposed "crunch time". They were talkin' about gettin' everythin' painted so that Mr. Floor Man could begin his part of the job. They quickly broke out their brushes and rollers and paint cans and rags and ladders and set to their intended task.

I, of course, supervised.

Why is it that any time you're workin' around wet paint,

it's nearly impossible to not get some on ya?

I gotta admit, the whole work thing really bores me.

*Contrary to a rumor that Mom started, I did not - I REPEAT DID NOT
try to eat any paint. See the absence of paint on my tongue?" I rest my case.

When bored, I tend to find things to entertain myself with. Like, for instance, the paint rag that Mom dangles from her back pocket. I really did her a favor, 'cuz I think she needed to get outta that fume-filled room.....

.....and I, my ownself needed a smoke break.

Bein's how today many of you are celebratin' Labor Day by havin' the day off, I'll belabor this point no longer and finish by sayin' that we are finally startin' to see a light at the end of the tunnel....

.... and hope to soon be showin' some before and after pics!

Have a safe and wonderful Labor Day!

Chester ;0=)

CAUTION: Wet Paint Wednesday

2011-08-31T07:27:00.000-04:00

WOAH! Wednesday

2011-08-24T06:53:00.000-04:00

Goin' Postal

2011-08-19T06:46:00.000-04:00

For years upon years, dawgs have been gettin' a bad reputation for chasin' postal workers and wantin' to bite 'em.

I'm here to tell ya tha it's all hoggeh-wash! Why would we wanna bite a 2 legger who frequently carries yummy foodables from one furiend's house to another? Obviously we are not chasin' the postal 2 legger ~ we are after what's in his mail pouch.

Because I live out in the rural part of Pennsylvania, our postman does not walk, but drives his car from mailbox to mailbox. This route does not afford me the pleasure of chasin' his 2 legged self down, but that doesn't mean he can't deliver nomalicious goodies on a regular basis. Matter of fact, he did just that last week. The sender of the latest plethora of perfectly palate pleasin' pup treats was none other than one of my best gal pals, Zoe Anne.

This is a picture of the two of us when we met up in Gettysburg earlier this year.

Don't let her diminutive size fool ya - once you get past that shy exterior, she's a wild child with a need for speed - just the way I like my ladiez. If'n you don't believe me, just take a look at her shreddin' some waves earlier this summer.

I bet by now you're wonderin' what my favorite government worker delivered to me, aren't ya? Well, let me show you:

That's right - carob dipped bully sticks and peanut butter biscuits. I could not wait to wrap my jowls around this dawg buffet. But joykiller Mom - thinkin' that I would forget all about them - made me wait a few days. She wanted a bright sunny day so my Chocolatey-carob moment could be captured well in digital format.

Whatever!

What seemed to be years later, Mom told me to "close your eyes, I have a surprise for you." Did she honestly think that I didn't know what she had in her hand? Doesn't she know us dawgs live more by smell than by sight??? Oh well, sumtimes I humor her just for ~~land monuments and~~ giggles.

Finally I get to be alone with this carob covered confection

These bully sticks ROCK! Speakin' of things that rock - head on over to Dogs Rock. You'll see some rompin' good dawg fun ~ often with Zoe Anne ahead of Roxie and Xander, her fur-siblings.

MANY THANKS to Zoe Anne and the rest of her pack for usin' the US Postal service to bring me much joy and happiness.

With me eatin' this bully stick, I betchya there's some 2 leggers that are now havin' some hunger pangs of their own. If so, check out a new blog created by one of Mom's friends called "That Do Taste Good". Recipes for yummy foodables is the subject matter of this blog ~ and what's not to love about foodables? She's kinda new to the blog world so stop over and give her a nice warm welcome. Tell her Chester sent ya, she'll know who you're talkin' 'bout.

Aren't you glad it's finally time to be delivered from the confines of the work environment? I'm afraid another workday might have somebody goin' postal ~ and not in a good way.

Chester ;0=)

Brain Waves Wednesday

2011-08-17T07:25:00.000-04:00

Friday Toy Review

2011-08-12T08:27:00.000-04:00

In Mom's opinion, my red ball was gettin' a little ragged around the edges and she thought I needed a new outdoor ball. I thought it was perfect with the whole side chewed out but hey, if it scores me a new ball, I'm all for it. Dad thought she should get me the same kind but since the only place she can find one is online, she thought she'd stop by the local pet store on the way home and get a similar one. As soon as Dad saw it, he said it would never last. Mom explained it would be fine because she had read a review online about how a lady had eight labs and they loved this ball and three years later it was still goin' strong.

Once again, she was proved wrong. She turned her back for ten minutes and already I had given it my own special stamp of approval.

It wasn't hard ~

just a little of this....

.....and a little of that.

and it was a done deal.

Mom said if'n I had 7 brothers and sisters to romp with or even just one, mebbee my toys would last a little longer. Dad did not give his stamp of approval on that idea.

I'm bettin' you're just as ready to chew up and spit out the weekend as I am.

Let's hope it lasts a little longer than the new-ness of my toys does.

Chester ;0=)

Wadin' Pool Wednesday

2011-08-10T05:51:00.000-04:00

Bobbin' for (A &) W Wednesday

2011-08-03T07:23:00.000-04:00

Watermelon Wagon Wednesday

2011-07-27T06:45:00.000-04:00

Workin' Like A Dawg

2011-07-25T05:40:00.000-04:00

It's Monday mornin' - time to ~~bite~~ punch the time clock once again. I know you all think that because I'm a dawg, I just lay around and sleep all day and do nuthin' to earn my keep.

Well, let me show you the day I had last week:

Here I am, ready to tear into it.

I was really gettin' into my work here,

when out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement.

Work had to be set aside for just a moment as I watched these turkey mamas and their young'ns walkin' past the job site.

They made me hungry and I realized it was time for some lunch.

Not quite done yet, better put it back in for another minute or so.

It was a little dry, but I choked it down anyway.

An afternoon siesta made the rest of the day go fast.

And then it was time to call it a day.....

.....and head for home.

As you can see, it's not easy, bein' a workin' dawg.

I hope now I've put you in the mood to tear into your work week

~ and all that it entails.

Chester ;0=)

Some Things Never Change

2011-07-22T07:28:00.000-04:00

That was then.....

.....this is now.

I know many of you feel that Winter, Spring, and Fall pale in comparison to Summer. I, my ownself like them all. Can you believe that this Summer is about halfway over? No matter what your choice of seasons is,

the weekend is usually the highlight of them all.

I hope the one that's sittin' right around the corner pulls off quite nicely for you.

Chester ;0=)

What's In Your Wallet? Wednesday

2011-07-20T07:25:00.000-04:00

Randomly Bein' Brown Monday

2011-07-18T07:26:00.000-04:00

Some of you may remember me postin' about Frankentree awhile ago and how the removal of him was just the start of a kitchen remodelin' project. Well, we are full-swing into this chaos and I don't have a lot of time to go into details about the life and times of my Chocolate-ness right now. Once the dust settles around here, hopefully I will once again be able to organize my Big Brown thoughts.

So, rather than be totally absent I thought I'd share some random photos that have been snapped here and there without much of a common thread.

Let's see - here is me and my new shiny bucket....

....and that shovel back there is what the PUs use to dispose of my land monuments. Not that it's important, just thought you might wanna know.

We had a family picnic a few weeks ago and my 4 legger cousins came to the along to play.

Meet Oscar....

....and Erica.

As you can see, they had a zoomie good time.

(Take note of the absence of Big Brown in these pictures. Sumpthin' about me bein' a nuisance around so many adults who are not payin' attention to their food plates. I guess Oscar's and Erica's short legs can be an advantage)

Remember Sharkey? Well, when he first came to my house, Mom thought we'd take a few pics. She tossed him in the air for me to catch and well, he kinda got speared by the maple tree.

Now here's where long legs can be an advantage - not to mention the usefulness of such long limbs when it comes to counter surfin' - but we won't go into that right now.

This is a picture of some pretty flowers that grow at my GrandPUs house - they're called yarrow. They're yellow but it's not 'cuz I peed on 'em. Well OK, mebbee I did but I think they woulda been yellow anyway.

Last but not least, this is me headed straight for the camera operator.

aka: Mom

That's it for now, and we've just seen another weekend come to a screechin' halt. There ain't much we can do other than crash right into the next five days and see what happens. You might be surprised to see how much fun it can be.

Chester ;0=)

Wreckin' Crew Wednesday

2011-07-13T07:27:00.000-04:00

Mellow Monday

2011-07-11T07:29:00.000-04:00

Weiner Eatin' Winner Wednesday

2011-07-06T07:21:00.000-04:00

Infested Waters

2011-07-01T05:55:00.006-04:00

Just when I thought it was safe to go into the water....

....a Blue LAND SHARK
terrorized the waters at my GrandPU's house!!!

I sprung into action....

....as he taunted me from afar.

Check out his teeth!

Better yet, check out my face!!!

Gotcha!

It's a fish fight to the very end.

Haulin' home the catch of the day.

Shark: it's what's for dinner.

If you plan on doin' any swimmin' on this Fourth of July weekend,

you can now feel safe in knowin' that the waters will be safe for you to play in.

Enjoy!

Chester ;0=)

The rest of the story:

This most wonderful stuffie surprise came from one of my bestest friends, Sweet Sasha. Sharky Malarky (as I have named him) is built to last and the label says it is "The world's Tuff-est soft dog toy". I have set out to prove that claim wrong and am pretty sure I will be havin' a blast while tryin'.

Thank you Sweet Sasha and family! ♥

Oh, just one more thing I have to share with you: soon after I started playin' with Sharky, Mom announced to all my Facebook friends that I just loved my new crocodile. Apparently Mom does not know the difference between a "CRIKEY", and a "DER, Dernt, Der, Dernt....DER, Dernt, DER, Dernt". How she got this far in life is beyond me.

Weiner Eatin' Wednesday

2011-06-29T05:32:00.000-04:00

♪♫♪ I'm So Vain....♪♫♪

2011-06-27T08:22:00.000-04:00

I walked into

the partay

like I was walkin' onto a yacht.

All the groundhoggehs ~~had nightmares~~ dreamed that they'd be my partner,

they'd be my partner.....

I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee,

clouds in my coffee.....

I'm so vane

you probably think this blog is about me....

Don't you? Don't you?

If you're lookin' for more weekend, you're lookin' in vain.

Ya might as well get yourself another cuppa coffee and just suck it up.

Chester ;0=)

Pee Ewwwwwwwwww Wednesday

2011-06-22T05:45:00.000-04:00

Water Buffalo Wednesday

2011-06-15T07:04:00.000-04:00

Toyin' With the Enemy

2011-06-10T05:47:00.000-04:00

DRUG [druhg] - verb

A simple past tense and past participle of drag

Why do I bring that to your attention, you ask? Well as far as I'm concerned, this week has [druhg] on far too long. The only thing that accelerated the work week's demise was the fact that I found a mystery box on my doorstep Wednesday evenin'. I opened the silly-faced dawg card to find out that the shippers of this heavenly box of goodies was from none other than my Golden girls, Sammie and Avalon from California.

The strange thing was that the box appeared to have already been opened. Cautiously, I peeked inside. Much to my delight and surprise I found a bag of yummy Chocolick K-9 brownies. Brownies for Big Brownie-what's not to love about that???

The aroma that flowed outta that bag is beyond description. I'm not sure if my nose or my tail was workin' harder. Rivers of drool flowed freely as I couldn't get one in my mouth fast enough. Apparently the brownie bouquet had Mom's attention too. Next thing ya know, my eyes were buggin' outta my head as she blatantly stole one and nibbled on it. I could tell from her reaction that it was gonna be necessary for me to hide these in a safe place if I ever wanted to see them again. As I reveled in the glorious taste of the carob covered goodness, my thoughts began to turn to the size of the box in comparison to the size of the Brownie bag. I stuck my head in the box and began to be consumed by the overwhelmin' smell of............

GROUNDHOGGEH!!!! But there was no hoggeh to be found anywhere in that box. My heart beat fast as I changed from mild-mannered labradork to crazed asassin faster than Superman can tie his cape strings. The radical rodent that had escaped his cardboard prison was not goin' to vanish on my watch. My killer instinct dove into action.

Ah-HAH! A hosta hidin' Hoggeh!

(Too easy, think I'll just toy with him a bit.)

Go ahead, hide in the log pile. I'll find you....you little sap suckah!

Lookin' for help from one of your own kind, Hoggeh?

(Heh, heh, heh...little does he know that I "helped"
them move out two weeks ago.)

Snail mail might be one way to get outta here.....

.....but Big Brown is gonna be the one that delivers you, Hoggeh. Bwahahahahahahaha!!!

WARNIN': THE FOLLOWIN' MAY BE CONSIDERED OBJECTIONABLE TO SOME...PLEASE CONTINUE ONLY IF YOU ARE ~~NOT~~ DISTURBED ~~EASILY~~.

I am happy to report that this California Hoggeh will be pushin' up
Pennsylvania daisies in the near future.

Many thanks to Sammie and Avalon for the wonderful box o'goodness ~

You ROCK!!!

♥♡♥

Happy Friday to all for conquerin' another work week!

Chester ;0=)

Wet and Wild Wednesday

2011-06-08T05:39:00.000-04:00

Warrior Wednesday

2011-06-01T05:42:00.000-04:00

Guest starrin': Norwood aka: Nordude

Never Forget...

2011-05-30T07:08:00.000-04:00

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

~ Lee Greenwood

Happy Memorial Day ~

enjoy and be safe!

Chester ;0=)

Trail Walkin' Wednesday

2011-05-25T06:52:00.000-04:00

Park Ranger Pooch

2011-05-23T05:38:00.000-04:00

Bein's that next weekend is Memorial Day weekend, many two leggers will be flockin' to the local state parks for picnicin', swimmin' and hikin'. I took it upon myself to make sure my favorite park - Cowan's Gap, was ready to take on the masses.

As we pulled into the parkin' lot early yesterday mornin', I announced to everyone within earshot ~~and then some~~ that I was on duty and inspection was about to begin.

Paddle boats ....

....are lookin' good to go. ✔

Rescue equipment and safety signs are in place; such as this "Swim at your own risk" sign - because not all 2 leggers are as good at swimmin' as I am. ✔

Courtesy signs had been placed throughout the park askin' for guests to pick up after their pooch ~ 'cuz nobody wants to step in dawgie-doo-do, myself included. ✔

I left no stone or leaf unturned to make sure the trail was in good shape....

....and the water fountains are in workin' order. ✔

Halfway around the lake, I ran into another ranger. We quickly compared notes and then moved on. No time for play today.

Last but not least, I did a quality assurance check-up with guests as they finished their meal and offered to assist with ~~leftovers~~ clean-up. ✔ and double ✔ ✔

Speakin' of ✔'s, check this out - Grandma Hoover decided to make an appearance! She's gettin' up in years but I think she's still quite a looker. Can you see the family resemblance?

Bein' the feisty old dawg that she is, she let my superiors know how she felt about me havin' to work so hard, especially on a Sunday.

It's no wonder I act the way I do - attitude seems to run in the family.

Well, I hope you at least were able to get out and enjoy the weekend and didn't spend all your time workin'. Let's just keep our paws crossed that this work week doesn't take it's good ol' time checkin' outta town.

Chester ;0=)

Whizzin' by Wednesday

2011-05-18T07:30:00.000-04:00

About Face

2011-05-16T07:26:00.000-04:00

I was just about to show you my "Helloooooooooo Weekend" face on Friday

when Blogger got a bad case of the hiccups and wouldn't let me post.

So, better late than never ~ here it is:

You get that, don'tchya? I mean, who wouldn't have a face like

that when you have stuff like this planned?

Non-stop good times and as you all well know, they sure do fly by when you're havin' fun. All that to say - and I know you don't wanna hear it - but another weekend is done and over with. If I could I would just turn right around and do it all over again but if'n that's not an option, I guess it's time

for me to pull out my Monday face....

....because mere words cannot express

well enough just how I feel about that.

Chester ;0=)

Dish Washer Wednesday

2011-05-11T07:28:00.000-04:00

Chocolate Thunder from Down Under

2011-05-06T07:28:00.000-04:00

Mention "ashes of roses" to any female who was mebbee fifteen years or older in 1983 and you will probably get a similarly responsive sigh from 'em all. You see, "The Thorn Birds" was the second highest rated mini-series ever to hit television and ashes of roses was the color of the dress worn by the romantic character named Meggie Cleary.

In case you don't know this story or have forgotten the details, let me refresh your memory with a few highlights. Father Ralph was a friend of Meggie's aunt and visited her Australian farm called Drogheda where Meggie's father worked and lived. Ralph had high hopes of gainin' a hefty bequest to the Catholic church in his name which in turn would promote him in the Catholic church hierarchy. Ralph becomes the center of Meggie's life, and he in turn cherishes her. As her womanhood ripens, some begin to question their relationship, includin' Ralph and Meggie themselves. When Meggie shows up at her aunt's birthday party wearin' her ashes of roses colored dress, her stunnin' beauty is evident and does nuthin' to extinguish the flames smolderin' between the two.

The years go by and through a series of events, Ralph and Meggie finally consummate their passion and nine months later a son is born, unbeknownst to Ralph. A lotta stuff happens in between and then their son, Dane is killed in a tragic accident and Meggie finally reveals to Ralph - now a Cardinal - the true identity of her son's father. Ralph then dies in Meggie's arms after the funeral.

So, after all that yadda, yadda, yadda I'm here to tell you that a remake is in the works. Bein' that the actors who played Meggie (Rachel Ward) and Ralph (Richard Chamberlain) are now old, the producers went lookin' for some hot, young actors to play in the sequel.

Therefore, I am both proud and delighted to announce that my Chocolate darlin' Ms. Truffles will be playin' the part of Meggie Cleary and I have been cast as the part of Ralph. The film is still in the editin' stages so the premiere date will be released at a later time. BUT - bein' that I am privy to inside information, I wanted to share with you an exclusive sneak peek of the 2011 promotional poster of what promises to be a smashin' hit:

Ms. Truffles and I truly hope you are not so fond of the original that you poo-poo the idea of our remake. Keepin' that thought in mind durin' the filmin' of the Thorn Turds, we truly dug deep into the depths of our bowels in hopes of producin' not one big stinker, but sumpthin' of epic proportions.

Ahhhhhhhh yes ~ just as several furiends promised, the weekend that I was lookin' for on Monday has rolled around once again. I dunno about you, but I'm hopin' to download some major
F-U-N this weekend!

Chester ;0=)

Wisteria Lane Wednesday

2011-05-04T07:26:00.000-04:00

Weekend Gotaway

2011-05-02T06:48:00.000-04:00

I had a good grip on a weekend around here not so long ago,

but it managed to slip through my paws and for the life of me

I can't seem to find it now.

I've looked and it's simply nowhere to be found.

I'm thinkin' mine got away ~ dogonnit!!!

If you happen to see my weekend scurryin' around puhleeze send it my way.

It's a little critter but very attractive. Believe me, next time

I get my paws on it, I'm gonna hang on a lot tighter.

Chester ;0=)

Color Washed Wednesday

2011-04-27T07:48:00.000-04:00