2.15.12 Fairy Penguins and Koala Bears
On this cold morning, I thought I would go to somewhere warm. So, let’s go to Australia (where the season is opposite of me: I am north and it is winter and there it is summer). In January 2010 I took a business trip to Australia and I made sure to experience some of the local wildlife (crazy to go that far if you are not going to see those things that you can not see anywhere else.)
On Phillip Island, southeast of Melbourne, I had the opportunity to experience the littlest penguins in the world, the Fairy (or Blue) Penguin, which can only be found in Australia or New Zealand. A viewing area had been set up at the Phillip Island Nature Park to allow visitors to view the nightly “penguin parade.” There were lights and concrete stands for viewing. It was really cold when the sun went down, but after dusk, one my one, and then in small groups, the penguins came on land. Because they are so little, and lots of things want to eat them, they only come on land in the dark (which makes sense to me). They scurried along beside the fenced in area to get to their burrows in the rocky cliffs, and I was told, that some of them walk up to a mile to their little homes. For more info you can go to: http://www.squidoo.com/fairypenguins
I also got to meet some very tired Koala bears. It was the middle of the day, so they were taking their naps. They were very big, so do not let these pictures fool you. Koala’s are not actually bears at all but related to the Kangaroo. If you want to see them in action go here: http://www.koalaexpress.com.au/facts1.htm
I was kind of sad because I did not see any Kangaroos, but just as I was leaving the area, a few 
Wallabies came by and I did get to snap a few shots. It was so excited. They looked like Kangaroos so that was good enough for me.
Can you find the Joeys jumping?
I love to see things that you can not find in your own area. This was such a magical experience. I am hoping at some point to be able to return and maybe get to the Great Barrier Reef. That was on the other side of the country, so there was no time. I am feeling warmer now that I have taken you to the wonderful land of Australia. The dogs would not have liked the Wallabies, I don’t think, since they jump so high, and I hear they kick too. Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo. ❤
2.14.12 Love, Laughter, & Cookies
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! When I was little we used to give everyone in the class a valentine even if we didn’t like them very much. The rule was that you just had to be fair and give one out to everyone. I like that rule now, I am not sure I liked it very much when I was little. I wish that we could give everyone, everywhere, a valentine today. This is suppose to be a special day for expressing love. So hug those you love extra close today and make sure to give your furry friends a little extra something in their bowls. Maybe Louise and I can bake special dog cookies for her boyfriend Mojo Raising.
I found this site called She Knows Pets & Animals and it had what looked like really good treats, so I am going to try and make them and I will let you know how they turn out.
Homemade mini heart dog cake recipe
Yields 10 mini cakes
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup butter (or 1/4 cup vegetable oil)
- 1/4 cup all-natural peanut butter
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 tablespoons all-natural honey
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces of low-fat cream cheese
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini heart cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Mix the flour and baking soda. Add the peanut butter, vanilla, honey and oil/butter and stir. Add the buttermilk, 1/4 cup at a time. Stir in carrots.
- Spoon the mixture into the mini heart cavities, filling each one three-quarters full. Bake for at least 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- While the cakes cook, prepare frosting by beating the cream cheese, vanilla and cinnamon together. Once the cakes have cooled, frost. Drizzle melted peanut butter on top or top with additional shredded carrots.
Hey wait those sound just like people cookies, maybe I will eat them too! May your day be filled with love, laughter, and light!! Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo! ❤
Tuesday’s Valentine: Love Comes In All Sizes
Todays Cuteness 🙂 via:arrackofthecute.For the Dog Lovers 🙂
2.13.12 Two Very Different Sisters
Some go one way, some go the other....
Louise and Sofie have such different personalities and I am sometimes amazed at HOW different! Lulu Belle wants so much to please me. She will come when called and basically do anything asked of her. She loves training sessions and will even try to anticipate what you are going to ask. Though nervous around strangers she really is pretty laid back at home and just wants to hang where I am. She is a Momma’s girl. When I open the kennel door at night, she runs in and lays down, closes her eyes, and goes to sleep. Louise learned to control her barking early and responds well to the ‘that’s enough’ command. She is shy with visitors, but a cookie in a calm hand will usually get her to come out. Louise loves her walks and waits with great anticipation for that time we have together. Lulu is afraid of most things at first and it takes her time to warm up but she is trusting more and more over time. She loves to run at full hound speed around the yard, sometime for what seems like an eternity, and balls and rings are her favorite toys.
Sofie on the other hand will not listen to almost anything unless there is a bribe attached. She is willful and headstrong and wants her way (pretty much all of the time). She is loving and silly but on her own terms. She barks and whines at everything and no amount of squirt guns or towel bonkers seems to effect her desire to have a conversation. She has an aversion to coming in the door and will stand right out of reach and then run away when you open it. Sofie would happily jump on every human she sees (if I allowed it) and waits for the opportunity to break the rules with her other humans because she knows she can (like running down the stairs first). Sofie comes along for a walk (and enjoys it), but would be happy just running and digging up the yard. Sofie is not afraid of much (except white garbage bags). She likes to lie in-wait for Louise when she is running her laps around the yard and then jump out at her from behind a bush. Sofie Bear loves to lie her head in my lap and snuggle while she sleeps. Here favorite thing in the whole world is her unstuffed Beaver, which she always sleeps with. When I open the kennel door at night, she goes a few feet away and lies down there instead. It is only after a stern word, and sometimes, yes… a bribe… that she will head on it, whine for a few minutes, and then… like many a willful puppy…. fall sweetly, and lovingly, fast asleep.
Sleepin' with the Beaver
One thing I know they agree on – they both hate SQUIRRELS and they both love their Mommy!
Two very different dogs – one happy family. Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo. ❤
The Hug Award: How Special !!!
Thank you Misty Shores Chesapeakes for honoring us with a very special Hug Award, you are tooooo kind. We were really in need of a hug today so it came at a wonderful time. This is a really interesting award and I was really glad to receive it. Receiving this award sent me to the site it comes from to see what it was all about (http://ahopefortoday.com/2012/01/14/hope-unites-globally-hug-award-guidelines/) and I learned about A Hope For Today.
So, as the rules of many of the awards go, I will tell you more about me: Though I earn my pay in the corporate world, I try to live my life in service for the world good both locally and globally. To me that means providing hope of a better today for humans, animals, and the environment. I believe you need to be the change you want to see in the world. So, I drive a hybrid (with the license plate ‘GIVEBAK,’ so honk if you see me), I recycle everything possible, I rescue animals (you all know that part), I work with the River Keepers to try and restore and keep my river and the Bay healthy, I support wildlife (I am a Certified Wildlife Habitiat), I support certain human causes such as Lupus (which I have), Crohns & Colitis (which plagues my family), and all kinds of Cancers (which has robbed me of many family & friends), and currently I am a Commissioner on the County Commission for Women, to improve the lives of women and children. Yes, I must say that sometimes I do all this for the hugs, but mostly, I do it for the selfish reason that I believe in the law of cause and effect – what you put out there will come back to you 10 fold: to give is the greatest gift I get, and at the end of the day, the only one I want. I have hope today and everyday, so thank you Misty for reminding me of the greater value in that.
I will pass this along to 5 blogs I have not acknowledged before, who are teaching me something with every blog:
Hugs and Hope from the zoo at DogDaz ❤
