BEAUTIFUL ENGLISH CREAM PAIRS

I'm obsessed with English cream doxies ~ aren't they beautiful?? Whether shaded, light, short or longhaired, they're gorgeous. Feast your eyes on these beauties, doxie lovers:

Dachshunds . . . you gotta love 'em with a little cream!

GOOD FRIENDS

"BESTEST" FRIEND

Dogs aren't called "man's best friend" for nothing! They love us unconditionally, protect us, take care of us when we're sick, and rescue us from dangerous situations. Doxies are no different~~they also outsmart us much of the time!

Dogs are heroes to me. They put up with so much from us humans, but love us anyway. They are gentle with babies and little children, sensing that these little ones need that. They want to be right in the middle of everything their family is doing, be it swimming, EATING, sleeping, hiking, or watching TV. Dogs listen without judging; they offer comforting cuddles, doggie kisses, and look lovingly into our eyes. Did you know that dogs are the only animal that will look humans in the eyes with love?

"I promise I will be your bestest friend always"

Dachshunds . . . you gotta love 'em. It's impossible not to.

AND THE WINNER IS . . .

The drawing for a free autographed copy of Dachshunds, Laughs, and Rants ended January 20. The drawing was held yesterday, and I'm happy to announce that the winner is Denise Bryson! She has been notified via email. Congratulations, Denise!

I'll be holding other contests and giveaways in the near future, so stay tuned. Also, if you haven't yet signed up for my newsletter/mailing list, click on the NEWSLETTER tab at the top of this blog. Your information will be kept confidential. I sent out the January issue yesterday, so if you sign up this week, you can still receive it. It has articles of interest to doxie lovers, a delicious family recipe, what's up in my family, and of course, cute doxie pictures.

Here's a couple of cute doxies to brighten your day:

Hmmm . . . doxie or shark??

Beautiful longhaired Irish cream doxie

Dachshunds . . . you gotta love 'em!

HOW SWEET IT IS . . .

YES, YOUR MAJESTIES

"Oh, good--you're up. We're ready
for our breakfast now."

DOXIES ARE SO VERSATILE!

Yes, they are! They are hilarious/funny/cute in just about any setting, and especially if they are posed with various objects or in just about any setting. Stubborn as they are, it amazes me that they'll put up with wearing contraptions, costumes, wigs, and even fake eyelashes. I imagine it's because they're also loyal, loving, and eager to please (if they're in the mood to please, that is!).

Enjoy this sampler of versatile dachshunds. Which is your favorite?

"Let's roll!"

"A spa facial is so nice--plus, you can
eat the yogurt and cucumber afterward!"

Steppin' out in style!

Dachshunds . . . you gotta love 'em!

And don't forget: This Saturday, January 20, is the deadline to sign up for my newsletter and have a chance to win my book, Dachshunds, Laughs, and Rants! Click on the NEWSLETTER tab at the top of this blog to sign up, and to learn more about this book, click on the BOOKS tab. Good luck!

GRANDDAWG SUNNY!

Here's Granddawg Sunny with two of her kitty brothers: Thor and Piper.
Thor is a mackerel tabby, and Piper is a Norwegian Forest. 

Her other kitty brother, Aslan the Siamese, was somewhere around the house when this photo was taken. Who knows?

Dachshunds  . . . you gotta love 'em.

SMILING DOXIES TO BRIGHTEN YOUR MONDAY!

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE--TRY ALASKA!

This winter has already shaped up to be much colder across the Southeast than last year's. We've even gotten snow in North Georgia. That huge storm everyone's talking about right now has missed us, but the frigid temps still persist. Along with some wind, it feels even colder than it actually is. 

Speaking of cold weather, I don't know how I stood it in Alaska for 3.5 years! I was a teenager, and in the 1960s, it was much colder then than it is now. I have Fairbanks, AK, on my phone weather app so I can keep abreast of the weather there (why, I don't know--it's just interesting to me). Back then, the normal winter temps were 40, 50, and 60 below zero. And yes, I walked several blocks to school, even walking home for lunch, a matter of a few blocks. Of course, we lived on a small military post 100 miles from Fairbanks (Ft. Greely), so central Alaska was always very cold. The wind blew hard much of the time, so the wind chill factor made it even more dangerous. We quickly learned how to dress appropriately and avoid frostbite. I remember my feet being totally numb by the time I arrived at school, which only took me about ten minutes' walking time. The worst part was my feet thawing out: OUCH! Very painful. 

Frozen trees

Mt. McKinley in summer, the tallest peak
in North America ~ I attended summer camps there

Richardson Highway, the road we
traveled when going to Fairbanks

In any case, my entire family loved Alaska. Summers were short, but beautiful with long days (Alaska is known as "the land of the midnights sun" for good reason). Daylight was many hours long in summer, very short in winter. Right now, the sun rises in Fairbanks about 10:45 a.m. and sets around 3:00 p.m. In winter, I walked to school in the dark and came home in the dark. There were abundant street lights, however.

A typical winter day in Alaska, around midday

Herds of buffalo roaming freely in our area: I
saw this scene regularly while waiting for the school bus
when we lived in Delta Junction
at the beginning of our time there

This sign is for real--a buffalo could total a small car!

The town just down the Richardson Hwy.
from Ft. Greely

Donnelly's Dome, a mountain where wild cranberries
grew below it in the summer. We picked them every
summer and my mother made her famous
cranberry-banana jam from them--yummy

Ft. Greely was located right beside
Delta Junction

No photo I've ever seen shows how beautiful
the northern lights actually are

The snow was this deep or more
on my way to school if I took a
shortcut instead of going on the
sidewalks!

Beautiful woods

People still use dog sleds when traveling in
certain areas ~ and remember the Iditarod race!

We saw grizzlies, moose, wolves, buffalo, Arctic fox,
and other native wildlife. Alaska was beautiful!

~     ~     ~

This little puppy would need to stay inside in
Alaska. Leave the cold to the huskies and malamutes!

This husky is well suited to Alaska's harsh winters

I'm so thankful for the opportunity of living in various interesting places as an "Army brat." But Alaska remains my favorite  place of all!

Can you find me in my Ft. Greely yearbook?
This is a page from the year I was in
11th grade ~ and please ignore the hair styles!!

Alaska became our 49th
state in 1959. I lived there
1961 - 1964

   

TWIN CUTIES!

This mama and baby do look like twins, and they are both absolutely adorable! What do you suppose they're both thinking as they are having their picture taken?

Below are several sets of actual twin puppies, and I love all of them!  Enjoy:

How did the photographer get them to look
in the same direction at the same time?

I love their little faces ~ adorable!

These itty bitty puppies are so very young

"What did you say? TREAT??"

Can't wait til summer again!

Dachshunds, especially puppies . . . you gotta love 'em!