Chester in da Hood

I kinda got that "deer in the headlights" look goin' on in my hood.

This works much better for blockin' that blasted light from Mom's camera.
Hey....I may not be able to see you, but my keen sense of smell tells me
that your mouth is open right now.
Are you laughin' at me???


I know many of you dawgs are anxiously awaitin' the Easter bunneh's arrival in your 'hood this weekend, and I sincerely hope that he shows up. My wish is that you arise from your slumbers to find a basket overflowin' with nomalicious treats just waitin' for your noshin' pleasures. But remember - don't be sneakin' any Chocolate outta your 2 legger's baskets!!! You don't wanna spend the day yakkin' up or worse yet, hafta take a trip to the dogtor.

Happy Easter to one and all in da 'hood!

Chester ;0=)

Shower of Love

♪♫♪ Sometimes in our lives

We all have pain

We all have sorrow.

But if we are wise

We know that there's

Always tomorrow.

Lean on me, when you're not strong

And I'll be your friend

I'll help you carry on.

For it won't be long

Till I'm gonna need

Somebody to lean on.

You just call on me, brother

When you need a hand -

We all need somebody to lean on. ♪♫♪

I doubt there's anybody who just read the lyrics above who doesn't know the tune that accompanies them. We can give credit to Bill Withers for writin' 'em. I don't know what the man was goin' through when he wrote this classic, but he's right - we all need somebody to lean on when life gets tough. That's the point of my post today. I'm here to be leaned on by a new and distant friend. Even though she may live over 2000 miles away, we have a lot in common - especially our love of the great outdoors. Look! We even share the same moon!

         

K's Mom, KB - is the creator of the blog, Romping and Rolling in the Rockies. This blog is well-known to many of you but only a recent find of my own. I consider it quite a treasure to have sniffed it out! KB and her camera give us spectacular views on what life is like living in the Rocky Mountains - for 2 and 4 legger alike. Amazin' views of mountain sunrises, sunsets and everythin' in between, includin' the not-so-tame critters who's images are captured by her strategically placed wildlife cameras. Oh, and the fun of watchin' K, (I'm sure you noticed that she is a Chocolate LabraBeauty),  and R (her Black LabraCracker brother), frolic in that mountain paradise of theirs often has me whinin'  'cuz I too wanna join in the fun.

Unfortunately, the evil cancer monster (medical term: osteosarcoma) who is no fun at all, has invaded K's leg and she is facin' some very serious health issues. This comin' Friday, February 17th - K hasta go for another round of chemotherapy. She's already had previous treatments and has gone thru them like a trooper. The happy news is that the treatments have been doin' their job on that leg tumor and I can't help but say that I really want news like that to continue!

When I was asked to be a Pillar of Strength, I could only say yes. It's a proven fact that when bein's are faced with health issues, knowin' that you have friends who are cheerin' you on and supportin' ya, it truly helps in the healin' process. If I could, I'd hold K's paw and tell her that everythin' is gonna be alright. Livin' so far apart there is only one thing I can do - and that is to let her know I'm pullin' for her and wanna see her win this battle.

 So K, I hope this endeavor has shown to you that even though you may feel alone, and the future's lookin' a bit foggy, we're all here behind you as Pillars of Strength ~ and that we're showerin' you with all the love we can virtually give. We know you'd do the very same for any of us.

Chester
(& Mom too)

♥

A Bark In The Dark

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=)

Promises are Made to be Broken

How's about you?

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

Chester ;0=)

2011 ~ 2012

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

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

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

Chester ;0=)

Fowl Wishes Wednesday

HalloWeen Wednesday

Labor Intensive

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=)

Irish Wishes Wednesday

Cruisin'

Most times when Mr. Postman drops a box on your doorstep it's all good. But, the box that landed here this week was a good/bad kinda package. He had dropped off a big box o' worms and guess who had to go and stick his nose into it?

Yep, you guessed it! I just can't seem to keep

my Big Brown nose outta trouble.

It smelled awful good so I continued with the unveilin'.

GULP!

Little did I know, but my friend Zoe Anne had tossed 

a love gift in my direction. She says she's

"just a friend" but she's got me wonderin'

with that "cut down to there" red hot dress she's wearin'.

Red dress aside, she sure knows how to

get this dawg's attention. Chicken broth and bacon

biscuits had rivers of drool flowin', and the heart shaped

stuffie spoke volumes. Last but not least a

cowhide covered Wubba. The other dawgs are gonna be so jealous

when they see that bein' tossed in the creek this summer.

Then all of a sudden it  hit me; what's Ms. Truffles

gonna say about all of this???

Bein' Valentine's Day, I did what any self-respectin'

Labrador who's about to take a swim in hot water would do:

I booked a cruise for two on the

Gravy Boat Cruiselines.

Soakin' up some rays by day...........

.......and soakin' in some bubblies at night.

I surprised Fudgie with this bottle of expensive French wine.

All said, it was money well spent. She understands that I am

a loyal and faithful dawg and she has nuthin' to fear about Zoe Anne.

In fact, I think they're gonna go shoppin' together at the mall soon.

(I hope she persuades Fudgie to buy one of them sexy red dresses!!!)

Oh, one more thing ~ I have a feelin' that the

consequences of buyin' Fudgie this bouquet of bacon roses

are gonna be smelt felt for a very long time.

Now as we cruise into the Valentine's Day weekend

I gotta piece of advice for ya:

Treat that special someone like "Top Dawg" and you won't regret it.

Chester

♥

Weather Report Wednesday

Methinks Monday

Methinks Candy canes and Chocolate go well together.

Methinks my Cuz'n is cool ~ even though

we bear no family resemblance.

Methinks I can be a good dog ~ at least every once in awhile.

Methinks Mrs. Santa Claus knows

how to bake up some really good nom-noms.

Methinks Mom was gettin' a little frustrated

tryin' to get a good picture - but my noggin'

wouldn't stop followin' my nose.

Methinks this one is better.

Methinks Mom had Mango in mind when she ordered

me a new hemp collar from Planet Dog.

Either that or she simply can't read a tape measure.

Methinks Mom better open that box with

my name on it or she's gonna have to deal with my wrath.

Methinks I got a lotta really nice Christmas cards ~

rangin' from beautiful to downright silly.

All in all, I'd have to see methinks that social networkin'

has been very, very good for the USPS and Big Brown UPS.

Whether or not you see sumpthin' familiar here is not the point.

The point is that methinks meKNOWS I have some very special friends

scattered all over the world and it doesn't get any better than that.

The fact that you didn't forget about me when I had to take a bloggin' break this year, and even still when I don't get to visit as much as I'd like means an awful lot to me.

You have remained faithful as well, a dawg!

My plan is to take a break after Wordless Wednesday this week

just so I can visit all of you before the end of 2010.

Until I see you again, move away from the computer and get those presents wrapped have a wonderful Christmas season!