Happy New Year's!

Happy New Year's, but easy does it. Too much partying can be destructive and exhausting.

Love,
Africa

The Secret Place

Sometimes from my backyard I get a glimpse of what I like to call the Secret Place. The Secret Place consists of a vast empty backyard with one dog and one toddler. In this place the toddler and dog become one creature.

At first glance it appears that there is just a dog and a boy in a yard hanging out, but with careful study I can sometimes get that they seem to have an understanding. When the dog sniffs, the boy sniffs. When the dog drinks from her bowl, the boy drinks from the same bowl (this is indeed a tough one to witness). When the boy finds a stick, he quickly finds another to give to the dog and together they munch.

On the other hand the boy seems to be developing quite the imagination, which tickles me to death. I see him pick up things to show Africa. She sits next to him as if learning from him. They often sit in the grass and contemplate who knows what and that is the best glimpse I get of all. What does a dog think? What does a two year-old think? Whatever it is, I bet it is good and I wish I could be a part of it.

Then they come inside and resume their former roles and I am left to wonder what exactly is going on in their Secret Place.

My Good Side

Dear lady mostly referred to as Mommy",

I'm always trying to get on your good side, but it seems rather difficult at times. What exactly do you want from me? Besides the occasional home decor casualties I pretty much keep to myself. I entertain the toddler of the house with GREAT patience and only require two really large beds. So as Santa is watching please allow me to get on your good side for the Christmas season and I will try not to track in mud, eat your pillows, or shed. Some things can't be helped though!
Sincerely,
Africa

P.S. What's not to love about this face? I mean, seriously!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving friends! I am grateful that this disaster was actually not my fault.

Love,
Africa

A good dog, with a sad story, and perhaps an unfortunate name

Taken from my local paper www.azcentral.com



As a dog in war-torn Afghanistan, Target survived an explosion set off by a suicide bomber he had fought off, potentially saving dozens of soldiers' lives. But Target could not survive his time in the care of Pinal County's Animal Control division.

Target, brought to the San Tan Valley area southeast of Phoenix by a soldier who befriended him in Afghanistan, was accidentally euthanized Monday morning.

The dog escaped from the soldier's back yard in Arizona and was taken to the shelter. Due to the guidelines not being followed correctly, the dog was mistakenly put to sleep. For the rest of the story click on the link. In the meantime, hug your pet and hope this never happens again.

Everyone needs a dog,....

....especially a boy. Hello everyone! We are still here, living life and loving it. Hope you are doing great. Wouldn't it be nice to not have any worries like a toddler? Just to sit with your best friend and watch the day go by? Even if you can't spend all day like this little one, at least take a moment or two to reflect. Last night was exciting and gives me hope because no matter what happens there is always hope. Hope and faith are what keep me going. How about you?

Even if you are not happy with the elections, hey it's Wednesday! You are halfway there to a wonderful weekend. Enjoy!

If Africa was on Match.com

-Female
-150 pounds of sheer gorgeousness
-muscular and fit, likes to work out and take long walks on beach, or no beach
- loves to enjoy all types of foods and non food related items
- great personality, finds humor in all things
-loves to travel
- loves to cuddle
- loves the great outdoors

Seeking same qualities or even just a juicy hamburger with cheese.

Snug As A Giant Bug

Africa's first camping trip! You can take the dog out of Africa, but you can't take the Africa out of the dog. Africa loved the cooler weather during the day. She ran around, and she ran around, and she ran around. However, when nighttime came she missed the desert. Thank goodness we remembered her bed and brought a blanket. I think she slept better than me. What was your favorite trip this summer?

Morbid Thoughts

"ooooh doggie"

That is what our little Jack says every time he sees Africa. When we go somewhere he is the first to run to our room and let her out of confinement. He kisses her goodnight and hugs her around 20 times a day. Sounds like Africa is really feeling the love right? Well....not exactly, but she will. His timing of his hugs are a little off, but Africa is very patient. She is constantly moving from her bed to avoid some tackle or "hug".

Just as Africa was once a little tiny puppy and is now an elephant, Jack will go from being a toddler to a big boy. I can promise you that these two will be the best of friends. After all they are only 3 days apart in age. Since the new baby will be getting the nursery Jack will have a new room. I have decided that to ease the pain of this change, putting Africa in his room at night in the new room will help.

Here's where I have morbid thoughts. Now that I know what it is like to lose a beloved pet, (Tonka) I fear the day this boy will lose his best friend. I know it is important for growth and death is definitely part of life, but I would like to take a day off from being a mom when that day comes. There will be tears, lots of questions, and a very long period of time before Africa can be replaced.

I am grateful we have lots of time to enjoy this dog and watch the bond between a little boy and his best friend grow and grow. I am certain that we all would rather have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.

The Opposite of a Stork

This is the face Africa made when she found out another little being was coming to torture and love her. By torture I mean the current little man of the house likes to ride her, hug her, kiss her, and point out the eyes, ears, and mouth of her anatomy. We couldn't be more pleased with a boerboel's easy going demeanor with children. Hang in there Africa, one day these little ones will be all grown up and you will miss the torture just like I will.

My Kind of Vacation

This is Africa hanging out with her B.F.F., Leo, while we took a trip to Wyoming for a family reunion. Some like to lay around the house, and some like to almost die on airplanes.



Things you never want to overhear your pilot say is " we got REALLY lucky that this happened so close to an airport with a long enough runway, the weather was good, and we were able to land as quickly as we did"


Our flight from Billings, Montana back to Mesa started much like the journey to Montana from Mesa. Our pilot was the same, our flight attendant was the same, and now we wonder if the plane was exactly the same as we thought the right side engine was extremely noisy on the way to Montana. If it was the same plane on the way back there is a good reason as to why the engine was so noisy. 90 minutes into our flight the side of the plane that we were on took a sudden dip to the right and a loud pop followed with a steady hum. We didn't think much of it until our flight attendant answered her phone which was next to me and after listening intently hung up and started telling us to clear the aisle and make sure our seat belts were fastened. Josh joked about there being something funny about the engine we had been questioning and we laughed. There wasn't any concern as the stewardess was very calm. As the turbulence ensued she then stated that one of the engine lights came and on and they were just checking on it. The turbulence worsened and the lights flickered. The flight attendant stumbled back to the phone and as she answered it her face changed.

Suddenly the tears came and I started sobbing. I wasn't hysterical, but quietly sobbed as I suddenly had that feeling that something bad was about to happen. I was looking at Jack sitting calmly on Josh's lap. Eerily calm as he had been a bit fussy up until that point. Josh was super calm and wise to tell me that it was totally fine. The flight attendant said that we might have to land and that everything was going to be OK. I panicked and looked at Josh and he said of course they have to land this is just a routine check on the engine. It helped to hear that, but the sudden free fall we took after that did not help. There was more shaking and diving and then a sudden feeling that someone had slammed on the breaks. I looked out the window and did not see a runway but rather the grand canyon. That didn't seem like a good place to land so tears kept coming. I was thinking of my Jack and how vulnerable his little body would be if it got any worse. I was thinking of my little .5 baby ( or 1/8th according to Josh) and if it could handle this "excitement."

I watched the flight attendant pulling out the sample oxygen mask to give us another lesson and then tell several men around the exits what to do when we land. She was speaking quickly and kept repeating the importance of hurrying. The tears kept running down my face as I watched two other flight attendants giving the same instruction to those around them. Then I said a prayer. I wasn't asking to be saved, but rather that Jack would not be hurt. I really didn't care if Josh and I had to die, but I just didn't want that little body to be hurt in any way. I guess I was just thinking this isn't really happening, but I was grateful for prayer and the fact that I felt so much better even though my surroundings were worse. The good news was I could see Flagstaff. The bad news was it seemed like there was too much going on to be able to land where we should when we should. The pilot did a great job landing. It was bumpy, it seemed like the plane was never going to stop, but it did.

It stopped awkwardly in the middle of the runway and everyone held their breath wondering what it all meant. We were told to unbuckle our seat belts, but remain seated. Suddenly the flight attendants started yelling "evacuate, evacuate" "leave everything behind." The flight attendant was not calm and therefore neither was anyone else. Everyone headed to the closest exit. Ours was the rear exit. The flight attendant told us to hold our children and hurry as fast as possible. I looked at Josh who seemed still very calm, but also quick to move with Jack. The few ahead of me went down the rubber slide and did not land properly at the bottom. The slide was so steep that instead of hitting the bottom at a run like they should, they landed on their face and every other body part. Every body part, but their feet. Once at the bottom there were several fire trucks and ambulances. The firefighters told us to run to the fence as quickly as possible. I went down the slide and waited for Josh to follow with Jack. Based on what was happening around me I was certain Jack was going to fly out of Josh's arms and I wanted to try to catch him. Josh landed perfectly and handed Jack to me as he turned to help stop the others from landing so dangerously. I headed off the runway and to the fence as they kept telling us to hurry.




Around me people were crying and firefighters were running around asking if we were OK. The flight attendants were still telling people to hurry and get off. As a result the passengers were hurrying and not waiting for others to move out of the way before heading down. After the rear passengers were down the slide, Josh went to one of the wing exits and helped people jump. They didn't have a rubber slide and were just jumping off. Some poor girl was heavy enough that nobody wanted to help her jump so Josh sacrificed his back and told her to just jump and he would help break her fall. We were then told to head to the airport. I could see the engine. It was very black and still smoking.

The flight crew reported that there was a fire in the engine. The built-in fire extinguishers went off and they thought it was out, but once we landed the air tower told the pilot that they could see the engine appeared to still be on fire and to evacuate immediately. There was a few people transported to the hospital for leg injuries and what not. The news reported 3 injuries, but there were several injured minor or not. They couldn't move the plane to land a new plane for us so almost 7 hours later we boarded a bus and finished the rest of the journey to Phoenix. Everyone was a little jumpy as the bus hit bumps and turns. Clearly the plane trip was fresh on our minds.



Maybe next vacation I will spend it sleeping on a giant dog bed too.

Irony

I have one human baby and one furry baby. The human baby proves to be quite tricky to raise. Africa has pretty much grown up into a very chill dog. For anyone interested in a good read to help you in the journey of parenthood, I would recommend Parenting with Love and Logic. I am loving it. However, it turns out you are never done being a parent. Irony is leaving a book about "love and logic" out for the dog to destroy. That was not very loving or logical was it? So the journey continues minus one book. I probably learned more from the consequences of leaving the book out than the actual content. Lesson learned Africa!

Wild Thing, I Think I Love You

130 pounds and 130 degrees outside. Not really on either account. She is probably more than 130 pounds and I think it has actually been a nice cool 105 degrees. What is a poor girl to do in this weather? Sleep, sleep, and more sleep. Life is pretty boring around here. Here in Az we make like bears and hibernate through the summer. Unfortunately I don't stop eating so when winter does hit I will have warm padding. Everything is cool (not literally) with us, how about you?

100th Post

Hey friends! Thanks for being a part of our 100th post with you kind words, well wishes, and understanding of pet ownership. Here's to many more posts. I thought it appropriate to mark this occasion with something as memorable as the time Africa met a snake for the first time. She isn't a fan and neither am I, but we sure are fans of our readers!

Winner!

The worst part about a giveaway is not being able to give it to everyone. Thanks for entering, thanks for reading my blog, thanks for being our friend, but I am truly sorry if you didn't win. I hope to be able to do more of these in the future. We hope you have a fabulous week.

Congratulations to the OP Pack!

You win this fabulous Tote Bag from Cafe Press!

Please email me with adress and such for delivery! Thanks OP Pack!

You Snooze You Lose!

(Africa snoozed on the car seat during a 10 hour drive. Two peas in a pod)
Giveaway ends Sunday! Enter if you haven't already by leaving me a little comment!

Let the Games Begin!

Well thanks for voting you lovely PAWple! I hope you don't mind if I give the tote bag away this time since that was the winner of my poll. It was a close call so hopefully I get to do more giveaways. Cafe Press has SO MANY great things. I just couldn't decide. Did you know you can even custom design your own shirt and such? They offer designer tools where you can personalize gifts, a photo, or create your own design. So cool!

Many of you liked the tote bag because the message was so simple and yet so important. If you are not able to adopt a pet, the next best thing is to help eliminate the need for euthinzations with over population. Having your pet spayed or neutered is just the nice thing to do. Please enter my contest by telling me what was the last really nice thing done to you! It is time for some good news don't you think?! Thanks for playing!

P.S. New to my blog?! Thanks for stopping and it is so great to meet you. Please don't hesitate to enter my contest. This giveaway is for you too!

Pick Your Giveaway!

Hi! Hello! How are ya? It's about time I reward you for staying with me thus far through our journey in raising Africa. So far so good right? I pretty much love Cafe Press. I know some of you do too. I couldn't decide what to give away. There are so many choices on their website, especially for dog lovers! Please take a moment to check out the items I selected and help me narrow it down. Just leave a little votey vote vote on the side and stay tuned for the actual giveaway.

A black t-shirt with this awesome quote.

A little tote bag that says "the top 10 reasons to have your pet spayed and neutered were just killed in the shelter"

Or how about this adorable black and white clock to teach your pet how to tell time? That might be a tough trick. How about just an adorable way for you to know what time it is, and exactly when dinner time has arrived for you know who?

Take a second to vote. You never know .....it might be yours!

The Snake and the Fence

The snake and the fence title might have caught your attention, but I'm afraid they having nothing to do with each other in this post. I am sorry for deceiving you. First things first. As you can see we have fence blocking off the grass. Remember how I complained about the poop on the grass? This is our solution. I hope that with encouragement and treats the dirt will be the new spot and remain that way once the fence is removed. Do you think we can do it? Now on to the snake......







My husband loves all creatures. I sometimes think to myself that the best day on the job as a firefighter for my husband will be when he gets to save a dog or cat like you see in movies and cartoons. It seemed unlikely that this will ever happen, but he came really close the other day. A large company in the city had a mulch fire one night and my husband came across this snake. He was thrilled that it was still alive and kept it while extinguishing the fire. However, upon further examination after the task was complete it became evident that his first "save" was no more. It had inhaled too much smoke and it got the best of him. However, the hubby was proud of himself enough to still bring it home and show me what almost was. That was swell of him since he knows I hate snakes with a passion. Now that I think about it, this picture looks like it was taken on my kitchen counter. 1st problem. The second problem is that I doubt he wiped it off with a Lysol wipe afterwards. Don't be surprised if the next post is about another fatality. Now you know about the snake and the fence.
Stay tuned for a giveaway!

Wordless Wednesday

The Waiting Spot

This is the door that Africa's lover returns through anywhere between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day. She begins her wait around 4:30 just in case there is an early arrival. Yesterday when he left there was whining from the baby and the dog simultaneously. I sometimes wonder if I would be missed like that. Probably not.

I am in awe of the loyalty a dog can have for their owner. I heard a story of a dog waiting at the bus stop everyday at the same time for when his kind owner would return. The elderly man died one day, but the dog continued to walk to the bus stop and wait for him each day. It breaks your heart, but also makes me very happy to know that such love and loyalty still exists even today.

The Obedient One

Guess what I am learning?
Puppies are SO much easier to raise than little tiny baby boys. South African Boerboels are not only better then kids, they are so much more obedient. The picture depicts a typical moment of every day. Commands such as "drop it", "leave it", and "stay" are obeyed by the dog, but not with the boy. Sometimes we forget who we are talking to and actually say to our little Jack to "drop it" when he is holding something he shouldn't.

While Africa sits or lays around for most of the day. Jack is walking, crawling, and opening everything everywhere. I think Africa gets tired just watching him. I know I do.

Dear Africa

Dear Africa,

I love you.

There I said it, and I really mean it. Look how far we have come in one year! In fact, I looked back at my posts in April of last year and I definitely didn't love you then. They make puppies little and cute for a reason, but you grew up so fast and yet still remained a puppy that I really had high expectations for you.

I'm sorry. That wasn't fair to you. You couldn't help that you seemed to gain 10 pounds every week (slight exaggeration), but still behaved like a puppy. You still do behave like a puppy, but more like a teenager. You know you have limits and boundaries and you only try to challenge them sometimes. You still argue with me and want me to believe you know more than me, but in the end you respect me enough to finally listen. I do believe that once your turn 21 you will not only be able to drink legally, but will probably become my true best friend.

You heard me right. I said best friend. I know you have a lover, but I think that you and I will become old souls together as so many people do with their pets. You mostly sleep all day and all night. Do you know how nice that is? You are the perfect baby. The other baby around here gets in trouble so much more than you ever do. Sometimes I wish he would take after you and just lay around all day.

I believe the lifespan of a Boerboel is around 12 years. I watch my son crawl over to you and then scoot backwards so he can rest his head on you and watch television at least once a day. He spends the rest of the day checking your teeth, ears, and tail for who knows what. You are so perfect with him. People that don't like dogs are starting to like you just because of how good you are with the little one. You are my hero. Especially when you are outside doing your thing and the little one will stare out the window at you for hours allowing me to get some cleaning done. 12 years from now will be the hardest life lesson my son will of had to learn I think. You are becoming his best friend more than I, or my husband will ever be. Thank you for being so patient and so kind.

Do you forgive me? I really want you to like me back. I think us girls could really get along now. Please remember that it is I that washes all of your bedding weekly, feeds you morning and night, and lets you out whenever you so desire. That counts for something right? I also can't thank you enough for weighing in at 120 pounds. It is great for my self-esteem to be able to say my dog is bigger than me. Also, thanks for letting me come down to your level the other night and cuddle for a few. I was really lonely that night.

Keep up the good work my new B.F.F!

Unladylike

I wish Africa was into wearing shirts like me. Sometimes she seems so unladylike with the way she spreads herself over the entire room, and I think a cute shirt would be just the right touch. I see cute little dogs all decorated and I just would love to decorate my little (big) lady.

I just discovered that one of my favorite organic t-shirt companies CAFE PRESS has cute little dog t-shirts. Since Africa won't wear one, I ordered one for myself. The feel pretty comfy and for me that is hard to find.

You can find millions of personalized gifts at CafePress – for any topic, interest, or brand. Someday maybe Africa will compromise and either wear a shirt or be more ladylike.

Get the Kleenex! This is a must see!

Thoughts?

A Rare Sighting

Here is a rare look at the author of this blog and an even more uncommon moment with dear Africa. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon, perfect conditions for a snooze with the puppy. I didn't know this moment was captured until I went through the pictures on my camera. Is there anything better than an afternoon nap with a cute dog?

This was my best moment of the current week.
What was yours?

Teamwork

Objective: Make messes

Tools: Random mailing tube made of cardboard

Teammates: Baby and Boerboel

Directions: Take one BOY and one puppy. Add one random mailing tube and you get a giant mess. This is just the beginning. The after results are always incredible, but you have got to love these two. I sure do!



P.S. Thanks for the support. Africa's lover was able to keep his job as a firefighter for now. The city of Phoenix had a budget to meet and layoffs were on the table. The battle isn't over, but for now he is safe. Let's all hope the economy improves. Thanks for your well wishes.

Komodo Dragon

We went to the zoo. Africa did not. I decided that my new favorite creature was the Komodo Dragon. Am I crazy? Yes, but not as crazy as the world's largest lizard. Let me tell you why I find this species of a monitor so darn fascinating.

Their size:
They weigh around 150 pounds and are 6-9 ft in length.

Their diet:
This is where it gets crazy. You know the cute little lizards you find in pet shops munching on tiny bugs or lettuce? Not these guys. They eat mostly carrion (carcass of dead animal), but they will hunt and even ambush prey including their own kind! I was so intrigued that I came home and watched a movie about the Komodo dragons that said they are so smart that they are not only clever enough to hunt out their prey, but they are able to think ahead and memorize landmarks to efficiently get their dinner.

More amazing qualities:

• They taste and smell by flicking out their tongue frequently and swaying their head from side to side. They can detect carrion 2- 6 miles away.

• The Komodo dragon has this incredibly nasty saliva that has 57 different strains of bacteria in it. This saliva quickly turns into venom for it's prey if they are bitten and able to somehow get away. With their senses they will find the animals dead 3 days later from their toxic saliva.

• The Komodo dragon is able to run up to 12 miles per hour. They can even climb trees. A visual of this fat, long, lizard running and climbing is incredibly fascinating.

So here we have a really large dinosaur-like lizard that has large claws, toxic saliva, and a craving for rotting flesh. These facts alone make me very grateful to be a human female and not a female Komodo dragon. It is no wonder parthenogenesis can occur among this critter.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Hopeful and Sleepy

In 10 days we find out if dear husband gets to keep his job as a firefighter. Thanks so much for your support!

What if Wednesday

Let's pretend we aren't friends. Forget knowing that my husband is a firefighter. Let's get real for a second.

Let's say you live in a big city like Phoenix. Let's make believe it is 2010 and the economy is still bad. Oh wait it is 2010 and the economy IS still pretty bad. If the city said they were having trouble making the budget work without serious job cuts, how would you feel about losing a significant amount of firefighters and police? How would you feel about a 2% tax raise on groceries to try save some jobs?

I am asking because obviously my husband is a new firefighter and would be the first to go and I am wondering what our chances are for his job to be saved? I am not asking for sympathy as I know many many people have been laid off already so we have been lucky so far. I am just wondering what the people of the city really think and if we have a fighting chance.

Would you be concerned if you had less of a police and fire force in your city?

Would you be upset if a tax increase was put into place to try meet the budget needs and save Fire and Police?

What solutions as citizens would you like to see happening as far as the budget crisis goes?

Thanks for pondering with me. I know how I would feel, but my vote is biased.

Wordless Wednesday

Wake me up when it's Friday!

Water Therapy For Dogs

Have you ever seen an oreo swim? Meet Oreo the dog. He is Africa's cousin by relation who lives in Colorado. One day he got to go to a spa for dogs. Here he had his own lifeguard, lifejacket, toy, heated pool, and friend. As far as I know Boerboels are not fond of swimming (correct me if I am wrong Stella and Dozer). If Africa was fond of swimming I guarantee you that should would be the first allowed to go to a spa between the two of us. Actually it wasn't very much. I believe it was 25 dollars for the first dog and 5 dollars for any additional dogs. I would check your local area for such a deal and give your dog a spa day to remember.




I'm off to beg my husband for a spa day for me since Africa doesn't swim. We're talking a REAL spa day.

How To Train Kasha

I am not giving up. I just don't want to confuse Africa or mess up her system. After 25 trips a day for 3 days we are trying grass planted in the corner with maybe some barkchip to absorb the smells and get her used to a new texture. We will also be fencing the area off as suggested.


Africa- "What are you trying to do?"

Kasha- "Teach you to go in the dirt instead of the grass so the baby has a place to play"

Africa- "He already has the entire house to play in and I usually have to stick to my two beds!"

Kasha- " You have an entire continent to play on!"

Africa- " Well since you did not make this clear from the start I will be very stubborn. I only like grass."

Kasha-" I know that. Since you refuse to go where I ask now I am going to plan B"

Africa-" What is plan B?"

Kasha-" You will see in 2 months. For now live it up sister!"

I would like to thank the following people ( two legged and four) for ideas and support of which I am using greatly:

Hsin-Yi
The Thundering Herd
Kasha The Dainty Great Dane
Huskee and Hershey
Amber and Nala
Dogslifedownunder.com
MurphyDog
Khyra The Siberian Husky And Sometimes Her Mom
Alasandra
The Army of Four
Benny and Lily
jan -reasoning with her was a fabulous idea.
Mango the Maltese kiddo
Charlie
Mango
cube
The OP Pack
Lorenza
Scout 'n Freyja
NORWOOD UNLEASHED
Marvin -The Hollow Hound
Raising Addie
Hudson

A bit about the South African Boerboel

If you were to look up the history of this breed you would find that it started in Syria and Albania called the "Bullenbijter." The Boerboel today is found mainly in South Africa. It would be difficult to find a farm there without a Boerboel . They have various jobs on the farm, but the main job is to protect the family when the farmer is away. This brings me to the point of this post:


Thank goodness for their desire to hang out and protect! I discovered a bit of spilled dog food around Africa's container and thought it would be a treat for both of us to have her clean it up instead of me. So I brought her outside to the garage and didn't have to tell her twice what to do. I then heard the baby cry and ran inside leaving her to munch away. Who knows how much later (30 minutes maybe?) I remembered what I did with the dog. My little heart fell into my toes as I remembered I left the garage door open to the outside. I ran out the garage and found it to be without Africa and spilled dog food.

Luckily she is a Boerboel (or call it personality), but she didn't take off down the street like I see some critters do every day. I ran out to the garage screaming her name and she came trotting up from the front of the house. Hallelujah! I have never been so thrilled to see my dog. I would also be really thrilled if you, dearest reader, didn't tell Africa's lover (a.k.a my husband). Crisis averted yet again.