Opinions, Please!

Bunny here at the keyboard, asking your opinions today.

We've been planning some changes for our blog that will hopefully be happening soon.  We'll talk more about it when we get all set with it, but for now, we're asking our friends to help us with a decision.  Mom had a bit of a mental block when she started our blog about what the title should be.  Since she didn't want to get hung up on what it should be, she just went with the idea of Tales and Tails, but in the back of her mind, she was thinking that it would probably get changed, but never got around to it.

So, we've been thinking and thinking about what we'd like to change the title of the blog to.  I voted for Bunny Tales, but Mom said there's more than one hound around here, and I might not always be able to help her with the blog.  Phooey!  So, the two top ideas are "Tales of the Hounds" and "Hound Tales."  We're setting up a poll in the sidebar that we'd like everyone to vote in.  If you think we should keep the title the same, please feel free to mention that, too.  The poll will be open until Sunday evening.  Also, if you think you have a better title than the ones in the poll, please say what you think in the comments section!  The poll is located at the top of our sidebar.

I'd also like to remind everyone to visit Blueberry's auction.  We're amazed everyday by all the cool stuff that people have put up there for auction.  You can also order the book she modeled for, Lacey Blue And Friends as gifts for your dog loving friends and use this coupon code WCEJR5E4 there will be two dollars donated to Blueberry's surgery.

If You Like Shopping...

I just wanted to pass along the link for a second auction to help the Fort Worth dogs who were seized from deplorable conditions a few weeks ago.  This auction has different things than the one before, so give it a look.  There might be something that tickles your fancy!  Five different groups will benefit from this auction as they have all taken in dogs from the seizure.  There are some pretty nice items up for auction, and you can't go wrong when you bid to help animals that really need it!

In a second, unrelated note, a few friends and I have been reading a book called The Magicians.  I realize that not all fiction is for everyone, and that's completely alright.  We were thinking about trying to have a discussion group about the story on a small site that we've tried to get running, but we need more people to truly have much of a discussion.  So, if you have read it and you'd be interested in talking about it, please join us on Fantasy Scribes and feel free to join in the discussion.  For that matter, if you'd like to talk about writing or other books, don't be shy, just jump in!  Again, I know that's not for everyone, but I figured I'd extend the invitation to anyone who might be interested.

Bunny here, sneaking an edit in after Mom set the blog to publish.  I just wanted to mention that if anybody wants to bid on that pink leather greyhound collar with the diamonds on it and send it to me, feel free!  Mom said it's not right to ask other people to bid on stuff for you, but I just wanted to throw it out there in case anybody really loves me!   Now I'd better go before Mom gets suspicious!

Some Crazy Week

The first week back to school is usually a tiring one for me, but it generally goes by really quickly.  Not so, this week.  It seems to be the week that keeps on giving!

I'm actually really happy with our new class this year.  We have a few things we'll need to iron out, but I think it will go much better than the last two years.  I'm hopeful anyway.  There is an adjustment that you have to go through when you go back, though.  I am up every morning at 5:30 when I go to work, but on breaks, well, it's nice to curl up in bed with a certain blue fawn snuggle puppy until about 7:00.

On top of that, the 4H class that we volunteer to teach has their show this week.  Monday night was dress rehearsal at our last practice and Wednesday night was their big finale.  There weren't a lot of kids who actually showed at the fair this year, but we had a young group and they all made huge gains.  It's more important to us that the kids have fun, learn about their dogs, and help to make their dogs good canine citizens than it is if they actually show at the fair or not.  It's a lot of fun and is its own reward, but it did take up a lot of our time, especially this week.  Imagine the looks on four dogs' faces when we were gone all day and night and came home smelling of other dogs!  There were enough hairy eyeballs to go around on Wednesday evening.

Tuesday night Mr. Taleteller had a meeting in the evening that kept him away from home most of the night.  So, the girls and I enjoyed a little time together, but we didn't get to enjoy our evening walk together, and honestly, I was so tired that I nearly fell into a coma at the computer that night.

So, I was very much looking forward to Thursday night when we'd all finally be able to be home together and enjoy each other's company.  I know a few Greyhounds had plans to spend some quality snuggle time on the couch and I'm sure a certain Shepherd had ideas about a rousing game of kitchen surfing, too.  It was not to be.  We got a phone call Thursday morning that Mr. Taleteller's younger sister, who is seventeen, quit taking her medication and had stolen some money and her parents Suburban to go out running around with her friends.  My husband took the day off to go out and help look for her. 

When I got home, he heard that she might be out in a small town some distance from our house.  It's true, I could have just stayed home and spent time with the dogs.  Heaven knows it's what I wanted to do!   Since we'd been away from the girls so much, we decided to load them up and let them go on a drive through the country with us.  It wasn't the evening I planned, but at least we were all together.  Please know that if we haven't made it around to visit or been able to leave comments, it wasn't because we didn't want to.  Things are just a bit out of our control right now.  I will say that I have plans to barricade myself in the house with the Greyhounds on Saturday and there's not much that will lure me out. 

Before I close, I'd like to remind everyone to please check out the Carpe Canem auction for the Houston Greyhounds who are desperately in need of medical care after being discovered in horrible conditions.  They estimate the costs for taking care of these dogs will be hundreds to thousands of dollars for each dog, and there were sixteen Greyhounds seized.  When I read about what these dogs had been through, I actually felt sick.  Anything that we can do to pass on the word about how much they need help is worth the effort!

Martin is one of the Greyhounds rescued from this situation.  A little TLC has taken him a long way already!  We hope to see a story about him being adopted soon!   Things like this make me want to stay home with my own dogs even more.