A Sirius Collar Discussion

If you've followed our blog for a while, you may have noticed that we have quite a varied collection of collars here for the Greyhounds.  Morgan has acquired a small assortment of her own collars, as well.   Okay, I'll even admit that I actually own a t-shirt that says "Collar Addict" on it.  So, you can imagine my excitement when we were asked if we would be willing to do a review for Sirius Republic and share their collars with you.

The collars are all handmade using cotton fabrics, nylon webbing and welded metal fittings.  The welded metal is one thing that we look for in collars, since it's less likely that you'll have an accident that results in a loose dog.  They are triple stitched, as well, which helps to keep the collars lasting longer.  They offer martingale collars, buckle collars and quick release martingales in 1.5 inch, 1 inch and .75 inch widths. 

We really liked the cute, whimsical patterns that they offer on their collars.  A lot of our readers have asked us about finding holiday collars and collars with cute patterns.  Sirius Republic is a good place to find them.  I had looked at the website when we were asked to do the review and I had my eye on a couple of the patterns.  I was lucky enough that we got several of the ones I had my eye on and they are extremely cute in person.  They are also very well made.  I looked them over and I would definitely feel safe going out with our girls in the collars.  They are also not terribly expensive, so if you're like us and you like having collars for different holidays and seasons, you can afford them and still have money left over for kibble for you and the dogs.  Actually, if you spend over $35, they offer free shipping.  They aren't lined collars, but the webbing is very soft, so if that is important to you, know that you might want to save them for occasions when you're going out and about or having company over.  They're so cute that you might not want to take them off your dogs, though!

I have a feeling we may be placing an order for a few things from them ourselves in the near future.  Another thing we liked about this company is that they offer the Rescue Partner Program, which is a cool way to help out rescue groups.  Shopping with a company that has compassion for rescue definitely makes us happy!  You can find them online and on Facebook if you're interested in ordering.  We were definitely impressed by what we've seen of them!

On This Day In History...

November 4 is an important day in the history of our family.  The fact that two important things in our life on the same date, a year apart, made me ponder some things.  It really gave me the sense that things in life really do come full circle.

A year ago today, we had to say good-bye to Hawk.  His body just couldn't keep going.  We had been in for some tests with him about a week before, and I recall that throughout Halloween night, he slept through the hustle and bustle of trick or treaters coming to the door.  I really thought that he'd bounce back, but we had to let him go even before we found out the results of the tests that were done.  In my heart, I know that even if we'd gotten those results, it still would have been time for him to go.  It was the end of an era for us.  Hawk and Treat were our first Greyhounds and they signified the beginning of our life together and our lives as adults with dogs.  Hawk stayed around long enough to make sure that Bunny was trained in the mysterious way that he and Treat carried themselves, I believe, and having completed those lessons, he moved on to be with Treat.

Two years ago today, a German Shepherd puppy was born.  She's turning out to be a funny, curious and sensitive companion who keeps us on our toes.  Sharing life with a Shepherd isn't like sharing life with a Greyhound, but it has its own rewards.  After Hawk passed away, our plan was to stay at three dogs, and then after Lilac passed, we'd go down to two, which was what we'd really planned to be at anyway.  Life takes turns we don't expect, though, and here Morgan is with us in a four dog household again. 

I have a feeling Hawk is happy with his successor.  Morgan has some of the same traits that Hawk had.  She likes to have everyone stay together, just like he did.  He didn't do head counts like Morgan does, but I'm sure that if he'd seen it in action, he'd heartily approve.  Hawk was always protective of Treat and me.  Morgan considers herself Bunny's personal body guard at the dog park, and she always has to know where I am, too.  Hawk was really goofy, and I loved watching him play.  Morgan could be a one dog entertainment show most of the day.

I regret that we didn't take up hiking with the dogs when we still had Hawk.  He hated walking in town, but if we went to a different place, he was happy to go along.  I suspect that he and Treat both would have liked hiking, but we had the idea that Greyhounds didn't do such things, and we hadn't learned to appreciate it that much ourselves.  Having Morgan has been good for us in that respect.  She needs the activity, both physically, but also the mental stimulation that comes with our hikes.  I think it's also good for her to see that the world is a mostly not too scary place. 

Hawk wasn't perfect when we brought him home, and Morgan isn't either, but I grew by leaps and bounds as a person through my experiences of meeting and rising to the challenges that living with Hawk brought me, and I think I've already grown some with Morgan.  It's sometimes hard to see those opportunities for growth when you're going through the growing pains, but it's rewarding to look back and see where you ended up.  So, please join with us today as we celebrate Morgan's second birthday.  Our journey together is just starting, but who knows where we'll all end up!

Wordless Wednesday 11/3 -- Framed By Art

Taking The Easy Road

Bunny here at the keyboard again to talk about our extra hike from this weekend.

Since Mom and Dad both overslept Sunday morning and it was a really beautiful day, we decided to go out hiking again.  Saturday they had talked about going to Moraine View State Recreation Area, but the trails were supposed to be really easy.  Since they wanted to wear Morgan out before the trick or treaters started showing up Saturday night at our house, we went to Starved Rock and hiked the canyons there Saturday, but they thought Moraine might be fun for an easy Sunday stroll, so we loaded our backpacks, put on our hiking collars, and Morgan, Blueberry and I all headed off in the van with Mom and Dad for a stroll through the woods.

The hiking trails there are pretty short, but after a while, we found a horse trail and decided to walk on that.  I'm not sure that was the best plan, since Blueberry got covered with mud, but we did get a nice leg stretch in.  The sun was shining and it lit up the leaves like they were magic.  It was definitely pretty there, and the walking wasn't hard at all.  Even Blueberry didn't break a sweat. 

Morgan and I were happy to have our bright backpacks on because there were a lot of hunters setting up deer stands with their bows and arrows.  We didn't see any deer, and I imagine they're too smart to be in that part of the park right now with all the hunters out there when across the street was the area with no hunting.  I know those deer get crazy this time of year with the rut, but I think they were probably all having a, um, party over on the other side where we couldn't see them.

There's a really pretty lake there where a lot of fishing goes on, too.  We went down to have a look at it after we got done on our walk.  Morgan and I wanted to get in, but Dad said not to even think about it.  I stuck my toe in anyway and it was COLD!  So, I didn't need any more reminders to stay out of it.

I do have to say, it was nice to have Blueberry along with us, and it was good that we found a place where she could walk with us pretty easy.  A lot of times she stays home to keep Lilac company, but she's not too  happy with that.  I imagine Lilac spends a lot of that time barking to herself like she is wont to do.  So, to have Blue with us was a nice change of pace for her and us both.  Mom says we'll have to plan more trips that Blue can go on.  I asked if that meant that Blueberry was getting a backpack too and Blueberry said there's no way she's carrying anything, so I guess that's a no.  It was still fun to have her along!

Return To Starved Rock

Bunny here at the keyboard to share our Saturday hike.

Saturday morning, we got up bright and early and headed back to Starved Rock State Park.  This time, we went to a different part of the park to see the spectacular canyons on the other side from where we were before.  There weren't as many people there as we saw before, but still quite a few.  Wouldn't you know it, there was a wedding there again, too!  Dad laughed about that, because we can't remember the last weekend we went out and didn't see a wedding.  I can't say that I blamed whoever was tying the knot of matrimony, though, because it sure is a beautiful place.

We went to the canyons this time because they are harder to hike.  This was all part of Mom and Dad's nefarious plot against Morgan.  You see, in our village, the trick or treat hours were set for Saturday night and Mom and Dad put a lot of faith in the saying that "a tired Shepherd is a good Shepherd."  So, the plan was to give us a good work out so that Morgan wouldn't make some little kid pee their pants on our front porch. 

Finally, we saw a rock!  We've been looking for a good one for a couple of weeks now, just to give it a try.  We can't top K and R or The Thundering Herd, but we did give it our best shot in Saint Louis Canyon.

Saint Louis Canyon is an interesting place.  Many years ago, when Grandpa was a little boy, there was a shocking murder committed in the canyon in March of 1960.  Three women from a Chicago suburb were found killed and a young man, Chester Weger, was convicted of the crimes. 

There's been a lot of controversy surrounding the case from the time it was committed up until the present day.  Anyroo, one of mom's relatives was one of the jurors, so she's heard many tales about it as she grew up.  It's hard to believe something so awful could have happened in such a beautiful place.  There are rumors that the canyon is haunted, but we didn't see any signs of any ghosts while we were there, fortunately.

I will tell you all one thing.  We definitely came back from that hike feeling tired.  It was definitely worth it to see the beautiful canyons, though!