Frankenmuth Dog Bowl 2010

Steve, Quincy, Chip and I ventured out on Sunday to the Frankenmuth Dog Bowl at Riverplace in Frankenmuth, Michigan.  Entrance to Rescue area It was an incredibly hot day.  I think temperatures were over 90 degrees.  The dogs were hot. Steve and I were hot.  So, we didn’t do as many activities as we would have liked and we didn’t get as many pictures as I wanted to. However, we did have fun. There were a lot of good vendors there.  Doodle Dog Bakery had a booth and there was a booth selling elk antlers and the like (we buy these from Dotty’s Pet Center in Clio and love them).  They had a lot of activities happening including:  Dock Dogs, Disc Dogs, Sheep Herding, an Off Leash Dog area, a Doggie Dash for all dogs to participate in, Wiener Dog races, Dogs of the World Parade and probably a lot more that we didn’t get to see. 

Chip was so incredibly hot that he couldn’t keep his tongue in his mouth. Both dogs were very good because they just wanted to lay in the shade.  Our friends met us there with their dyed pink dogs. That was pretty neat.  We did take Chip and Quincy to the off leash area for some fun. Offleash dog area Chip was playing a lot more than Quincy.  He wouldn’t go in the water though. 

It was a fun, but hot day.  I wish that we could have stayed longer and enjoyed more of the activities, but here is what Chip & Quincy looked like when we got home after only a couple of hours:

IMG_1536 IMG_1540

It was fun for Memorial Day weekend to go and check out the activities. We also got to see a few of the balloons that were there for the Great Lakes Ballooning Championships. 

Here is our whole photo album from the Dog Bowl. 

More alarming news from Bat Conservation International

I received another email alert today.  More bad news for bats. . .

clip_image001

On Monday, we emailed you about White-nose Syndrome spreading to the endangered gray bat. Today, biologists have even worse and more shocking news. The fungus linked to WNS, which has killed over a million hibernating bats in the eastern United States, has made a frightening leap west. The fungus was found on an eighth bat species, the cave myotis, which commonly shares caves with migratory Mexican free-tailed bats. Though biologists are uncertain whether the WNS fungus will harm Mexican freetails or other non-hibernating species, this signals an imminent risk for bats across America. With migratory routes of 1,000 miles or more, freetails could potentially spread the fungus from coast to coast and into Mexico.

This is devastating news for the bat community and increases the urgent need for research to determine the cause of and find solutions for this wildlife disease. Last Friday, nearly 60 conservation groups asked Congress for $5 million to support WNS research efforts. But this process will take time, and there are no guarantees these desperately needed funds will be approved. Bats need our help more than ever. Please donate now.

Best regards,

Nina Fascione
Executive Director
Bat Conservation International

P.S. A million bats are gone forever. Please help us stop the spread of White-nose Syndrome.

A couple sleepy hound dogs

My basset hounds, sleeping on the couch.  Chip loves being so close to Quincy.

Chip with his arm around Quincy Quincy my pretty basset hound Quincy and Chip Couch Hounds

One night, Two Toads

So, I haven’t been home much during daylight hours and therefore, haven’t seen a lot of birds.  But, I have been spotting quite a few toads in the evenings.  Here are 2 different toads I saw tonight.

IMG_1477 IMG_1481

Passing Along Information About Bat Conservation International

So, I try not to use this blog as a soapbox, but all of us birders and backyard wildlife enthusiasts need to get concerned about bats.  White Nose Syndrome is a real threat to bat populations.  Bats are a very important part of the balance in our ecosystem.  I received a disturbing email alert from Bat Conservation International. I’d like to pass along this information. If you need more information or if you don’t know about White Nose Syndrome, please contact the fine folks at Bat Conservation International.

Bat Conservation International

It is with great sorrow that I report the White-nose Syndrome fungus has been found on gray bats. Friday, we received word that five bats tested positive in a genetic test for the White-nose Syndrome fungus outside a cave in Shannon County, Missouri-one of only a handful of gray bat hibernacula.

Gray bats are very near and dear to Bat Conservation International’s heart. For decades, we have worked to recover the declining gray bat populations and the species was well on the road to being removed from the Federal Endangered Species List.

gray bat That was until White-nose Syndrome showed up in New York four years ago. BCI and bat scientists around the country have been nervously monitoring the spread of this devastating disease that has killed more than one million bats since 2006. This winter, the White-nose fungus spread to Tennessee, the epicenter of gray bat territory, and we feared the gray bat would be the seventh bat species and the second federally endangered species to be affected by the disease. At the end of winter, the Tennessee Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Bat Conservation International’s Caves Coordinator, Jim Kennedy, returned from surveying Hubbard’s Cave-one of the largest gray bat hibernacula-with hopeful news; the colony was stable with no sign of White-nose Syndrome. But now, the future isn’t looking as bright.

Because of Bat Conservation International’s strong emotional tie to this species, the gray bat was one of the first four Adopt-A-Bats to be released this past holiday season. If you’d like to support gray bats and the work we do, consider adopting a gray bat or donating online.

Thanks for your support!
Signature
Executive Director
Bat Conservation International

American Toad Photos

I spotted another American Toad (bufo americanus).  Had an opportunity for a few great shots.

Toad 3"  Toad Back View

Toad Nice shot of face

Great American Waddle 2010 Slideshow

Michigan Basset Waddle 2010

Steve, Quincy, Chip & I all headed out this morning to participate in the Michigan Basset Rescue’s Basset Hound Waddle in Birmingham, MI. This was our first time attending and I am SO glad that we went. 

We collected pledges for the dogs ahead of time.  Upon arriving, we registered our Basset Hounds for the waddle and each leash was tagged with a pink ribbon.  Quincy was representing Key-Lore Kennels and wore their bandana. Quincy   Chip showed his love (or maybe mine!) for the Detroit Tigers and sported a baseball bandana.  Chip Both dogs were very excited, but well behaved all day. Chip was pretty sure the party was for him!  He wanted to meet everyone and thought everyone should pet him and love him!  He had strangers giving him belly rubs, tried taking ice from the hand of a stranger, met a million dogs and befriended a St. Bernard.  Quincy as usual was a bit more reserved, but wasn’t shy or nervous or anxious at all. She did seem hot and was very patiently waiting by lying down almost the whole time.

Steve and I waited for the shuttle for a while, but we ended up just walking down to the staging area from the registration desk. It wasn’t too far, really.  Then, we waited around in the staging area where they had basset games going on.  They had a “Basset race” where they had to jump hurdles.  Basset Hurdles

Eventually, everyone got ready to waddle!  We were near the middle of the pack.  Both dogs walked nice on the leashes and were well behaved. Both were excited and trying to pull a bit, but they didn’t get tangled or refuse to walk or anything really embarrassing!  IMG_1447 We came around the first corner and there was a man videotaping.  Quincy went right up to the camera and put her face in it!  It’s like she knows she’s a star!  Hopefully she’ll be in some video of the event, that would be great!  By the second corner, Chip was really starting to slow down, but he made it to the end. 

They had a few vendors set up and we bought a giggling hydrant (Quincy had one before and loved it) and a very cool Basset Hound welcome mat.  Then, we headed to the car. Chip barely made the last corner to the car. He was so tired, when he tried to step over the curb he face planted in the grass!  They had water stations set up in plastic kiddie pools but Quincy didn’t seem to enjoy drinking from a bowl that other faces had been in!  So, everyone had a drink and then we headed home. It seemed like a long day, but it wasn’t really that much walking. Chip was fast asleep within minutes.

What a nice day!  I’m so glad that we went. This was also good practice for Chip before the Dog Bowl and just with socialization in general. 

I posted a whole photo album of the pictures, check it out!  I’ll be adding captions to the pictures in the album later this week, but I just wanted to get them posted. 

I’ll post later this week with the slideshow after I get titles and captions in.  If you were at the waddle and have a site with pics, please leave a comment with links!

American Toad Pictures 2010

 

American Toad

Above is an American toad in the yard, near the side door.  We’ve been seeing a few toads this year, but not a lot too close to the house yet.  Steve has seen some while mowing. 

 

Here’s the toad along with measurement information.

IMG_1409

Nice Weather, Dogs Playing in the yard

 

Just a few shots of my favorite basset hounds enjoying the nice weather!

Chip Basset Hound      Chip Basset Hound Running

Chip and Quincy