I'd Celebrate That!!!! April 8 - 11: Appomattox Day on Tuesday, April 9

**  I'd celebrate it.

APRIL 8

DOG FARTING AWARENESS DAY--  Yep, they do.  Just don't blame them when you fart.

NATIONAL DOG FIGHTING AWARENESS DAY--  **  This is terrible.  And, what it has done to the reputation of pit-bulls is absolutely horrible.


APRIL 9

APPOMATTOX DAY--    Lee Surrenders.  Well, being of Southern persuasion I can't say that I celebrate this day.  But I am glad that the war was finally over.

NATIONAL FORMER POW DAY--  **  What they had to endure for us is unimaginable.


APRIL 10

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS DAY--  **  It is amazing how cruel some people are to animals.

SALVATION ARMY FOUNDERS' DAY--  **  One of the great relief organizations anywhere.


APRIL 11

NATIONAL PET DAY--  **  Those pets have us trained so well.

INTERNATIONAL LOUIE LOUIE DAY--  **  The song's writer, Richard Berry was born on this day in 1935.

SUBMARINE DAY--  **  When the U.S. bought its first submarine, the Holland, in 1900.

Remember Those Prisoners.  --RoadDog

EGGCELLENT EASTER JOKES:  Q:  What is the Easter bunny's favorite kind of music?  A:  Hip-Hop of course.

I'd Celebrate That!! March 21-23: National Puppy and Kitten Day Saturday

**  I'd celebrate that.

MARCH 21

NATIONAL FRENCH BREAD DAY--  **  With garlic butter, dripping.  YES!!

NATIONAL COMMON COURTESY DAY--  **  We could sure use more of it.


MARCH 22

NATIONAL GOOF OFF DAY--  **  Something I HAVE NEVER EVER done.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

AS YOUNG AS YOU FEEL DAY--  **  The trick is to grow older and not up.


MARCH 23

NATIONAL CHIP AND DIP DAY--  **  I must be in heaven.

CUDDLY KITTEN DAY--  **    Way too much fun.

NATIONAL PUPPY DAY--  **  Way too much fun.

Too  Much Fun.  --RoadDog

I'd Celebrate That!!! Feb. 20-21: Love Your Pet Day Today

From Checkiday.

FEBRUARY 20

CLEAN OUT YOUR BOOKCASE DAY--  Dust it, wipe it down, arrange it, donate what you don't need.  I need to seriously dust my bookcases.  I should, but won't donate any books.  Sorry.  I like 'em, even if I haven't read them.

LOVE YOUR PET DAY--  Well over half of Americans have one or more.  My sister has lots of cats.  I mean, lots.  But I still have more books.  We've only had one pet, a dog named Brandy.

NATIONAL CHERRY PIE DAY--  What would Homer do?


FEBRUARY 21

CARD READING DAY--  If you've kept any that were sent over the years, time to pull it out and read it.  Brings back the memories, I reckon.

SINGLE TASKING DAY--  Multi-tasking causes mistakes and takes too much time.  I'm not listening to Chris Stapleton's "Traveller" right now.  Not much, anyway.

NATIONAL STICKY BUN DAY--  Loves my sticky buns.  Don't sit on them though.  Real messy.  Better to eat.

Don't Touch MY BOOKS!!!   --RoadDog

I'd Celebrate That!!!! January 14-20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day On the 15th

JANUARY 14--  Dress Up Your Pet Day   And some wonder why their pets bite them.  Pastrami Sandwich Day**  I do like my pastrami.

JANUARY 15--   Martin Luther King, Jr. Day**  The actual day he was born, not necessarily when it is commemorated.  Elementary School Teacher Day**  They do so  much.    National Hat Day**  Said I with my 200 baseball caps.  Maybe more.

JANUARY 16--  International Hot and Spicy Food Day    Well, burn my mouth.    National Fig Newton Day**

JANUARY 17--   Hot Buttered Rum Day     Ditch New Years Resolutions Day**  If you haven't already.    National Bootleggers Day**  Alcohol or video?

JANUARY 18--   Winnie the Pooh Day.     Thesaurus Day**   Don't you wish those who use "F" bombs almost every other word would use one of these.

JANUARY 19--  Popcorn Day**  Not many more things I enjoy more than popcorn.

JANUARY 20--  National Cheeselovers Day**    National Disc Jockey Day**  Well, I was one for almost 30 years.  Camcorder Day**  I used camcorders a lot back in the day.

Winnie the What?   --RoadDog

IN 50 YEARS OF LIVING YOU LEARN:  The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

Most Beloved Animals and Pets on TV

From the April 18, 2012, Vanity Fare/Animal Nation.

Rin Tin Tin  "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954-1959)
Eddie  "Frasier"  (1993-2004)
Flipper  (1964-1968)

Lassie  (1954-1974)
Wishbone  (1995-1998)  Not sure about this one.  Looked it up.  It is a children's show with a Jack Russell dog.
Murray  "Mad About You"  (1992-1999)
Santa's Little Helper  "Simpsons"  (1989-present)

Salem Saberhagen  "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch"  (1996-2003)
Marcel  "Friends"  (1994-2004)
Mr. Ed  (1958-1966)

--RoadDog

HOW TO LIE TO THE BATHROOM SCALE:  Weigh yourself after a haircut, this is good for at least half a pound of hair (hopefully).

Pets in the Family

An article in the April 25th Chicago Tribune about pet cemeteries and some numbers of interest.

It said Americans spend $43.4 billion each year on their pets.
$16.9 billion on food
$10.9 billion vets
$10.3 billion supplies/over-the-counter medicine
$3.2 billion pet services/grooming
$2.1 billion animal purchases

These are BIG NUMBERS INDEED.

Liz and I have just had one dog, Brandy, from 1974 to 1991. She was a sheltie/beagle mix. We wouldn't mind having another dog, but like to travel a lot, but with gas prices keeping us home more, it might be the time to get another dog. Liz is allergic to cats.

Mom has a dog named Coco.
Nephew and niece Andy and Andrea have two dachshunds, Frank and Rusty.
Brother Bob and Judy have a new sheltie, Gracie. She came just a few weeks after they had to put their previous sheltie, Chrissie to sleep. They also have a cat named Shasha.
Sister Julie has three cats and three dogs. Cats are Lexi, Max, and ?. Dogs are all golden retrievers: Sadie, Duke, and Penny Lane.

My Family is a Pet Family Indeed. --RoadDog

Don't Mess with Them Squirrels

A week ago, a squirrel went on a rampage in southern Germany and attacked and injured three people before a 72 year-old killed it with his crutch. Think about this the next time you mess around with one of our bushy-tailed friends.

I can spend a lot of time watching and enjoying squirrels. Those twitching tails and frantic motions are hilarious. It's amazing how fast they can climb trees and sometimes they'll be sitting there looking at something (usually the seed in my birdfeeders) and you just know that they are are doing some serious pondering. Often, I make little noises that gives them something else to think about. It's also fun to watch them trying to get somewhere they're not wanted. You've got to be impressed with their determination and ingenuity.

It was a squirrel, or at least they're pretty sure, that chewed into the electrical lines at the historic old Pig Hip Restaurant in Broadwell, Illinois, (just north of Springfield) and that caused a destructive fire that totaled the place. This was a major Route 66 stop, and put Ernie Edwards, "The Old Coot on Route 66" out of business in his museum at the site. They found the charred remains of a squirrel in the ruins.

This past April, while going to visit Andy, Andrea, Jolly Prince Charlie, and AP in White House, TN, I did a cruise across Illinois on US Route 50. I visited Olney, and was able to see one of their famous white squirrels. That was quite a sight. Also saw several who were partially white and gray.

Mt father-in-law Amby had a running vendetta going with the Palatine, IL, squirrels who were as determined to get into his bird feeder as he was to keep them from doing it. Every year, he would be at the hardware stores investing in the latest squirrel-proof offerings. Every year, the squirrels were able to figure out how to overcome the new defense, much to Amby's dismay. He was not nice in describing the 'lil varmints.

Daddy Graham's (our name for Mom's father) cat, Pretty Girl, so-named because he said she was so ugly that she really needed to have something pretty about her, used to be great at going up into the many trees around the house in Goldsboro, NC, and knocking the squirrels out of them.

Julie's tabby cat, Lexi, is very small, and often wanders out behind their home in Richmond Hills, GA, where there are a lot of squirrels scampering about the many trees. They usually think she is one of them and ignore her. Then, one discovers she isn't a squirrel and there is a mad dash for the trees.

Julie has had several "pet "squirrels who would eat out of her hand. One other thing, DON'T go out by those trees in May or June when the deer flies are there. Really nasty little buggers.


Hey, Something's Mighty Squirrelly Around Here!! --RoadDog


THIS DAY IN HISTORY- 1997- The US Air Force says officially that there is no truth to the rumors that aliens were captured at Roswell, NM. Hhhmmmnnn.