I've never understood this phenomenon... I would have thought rubber soles would be a protector against building up a charge with the carpet. I use those unscented dryer tissues in the dryer to keep my nylon/polyester pjs from sticking together and practically sparking at me. Would using a couple of those to wipe across boot soles help, do you think? josh

Hi Marie! It sounds like you're having a great time and we'll be looking forward to those toddler pictures... Your baby Bouv. here is doing well. I consider all puppy accidents to be the fault of us humans for not paying attention/reading the signals right. It takes a bit of time to adjust to read her particular language so some accidents were expected... Today was a very mellow day here. Misty has now fully accepted Phoebe as a member of her pack - she initiated her into the joys of head wrestling today...:-) Head wrestling is a game she and Copper invented. The only rule I enforce is that the big beast has to keep her feet on the ground. The way it works is Misty is on higher ground (the lounger on the back porch in today's case) and the big dog is standing on the floor beside her. Misty pounces on the big dog's head and that dog tries to grab her and flip her over. They then proceed to wrestle back and forth until one of them tires of the game. Unfortunately I didn't have the camera with me so didn't get any pictures, but maybe some of you remember the pictures of her and Copper playing on the loveseat. The same thing was going on with Phoebe this moning on the lounger on the back porch. Barb was here today. She and Phoebe got along very well and they had a vigorous game of chase-me (Barb pretended to chase Phoebe and Phoebe joyously raced around the paths...) We all went for a walk past the library to drop off some books. I like this picture, in part because the sign on the library window says Laugh Out Loud - a comedy reading program for kids - seems appropriate for Phoebe! Here's the classic Woody's Doggie Holiday Camp picture from this afternoon (just after this picture Phoebe nuzzled my waist with her head, rooted in the training pouch with dog cookies that I'm wearing, and absconded with a cookie or two! I handn't realized the pouch was unzipped... She's a smart dog. Misty and Phoebe are definitely much mellower together now. When Randy got home tonight, we went for the third walk of the day. Zoe (yearling Rottweiller) was out on her driveway so introductions were made. Phoebe was skittish but eager; Zoe was dubious :-) A generous dose of cookies was applied all round. It takes more than a strange big hairy dog on her driveway to keep Zoe away from her cookies! So Phoebe had a good day at camp today :-)

Dawn, I got a lump in my throat as I read your description of the biker barrier at the funeral. I've seen that on TV and it's quite a sight. I know they come from all over and pay all their own expenses. I have a cousin who is a biker. He is a quiet family man who owns a home, has children and grandchildren, and worked all his life to have what he has. People fear that which they do not understand. I was in California in the late 60's at the height of the Hell's Angels era. We were told to duck inside if we heard them coming because they would rape women right out there on the street, and beat up men. I never knew if that really happened or not. Several years ago, on another forum, I passed along something I saw in the paper about bikers volunteering to be advocates for children in child-abuse cases. I thought that was wonderful. I was flamed after that by someone who said her brother was beaten to within an inch of his life by bikers. Personally, I have liked all the bikers that I have ever known. I have known them to be extremely respectful and kind-hearted, quiet and unassuming, yet confident, and I have never felt frightened of them. My son is adopted, and his birth family was quite large. The children from his birth family want to keep in contact with him and I approve of that. One of them is a biker. When he arrived at my house, in full leather, chain and tattoo regalia, all my neighbors stood up and took notice. I went out there and hugged him in front of everyone. I might add that one of those neighbors I had been having a little trouble with settled down quite a bit after that. Of course there will be bikers who give the others a bad reputation, just as there are in every other identifiable "group" of people. Somebody in a business suit can swindle you out of all your money. Should we distrust everyone that wears a business suit? I guess maybe there are some who do! LOL I, too, am too old and fat (and arthritic -- I can't even lift my leg high enough to get ON a motorcycle anymore!) to be a "biker mama" but maybe in another life.... --Ilene

Lordamightee. I've been looking at these pictures for the last 15 minutes, and I still can't pick a favorite - thankfully, I don't have to. But, I will say, the picture of Makayla tucked into bed, is the sweetest. Btw, the spot you chose to set up camp, looks just like one of our little hideaways, up in Luddington. Wonderfully Zen-like. So, AB, will you be up for the challenge again, next year? Uh oh, I'm picking up distress signals from planet Annie. Sol