Our dear friend from the U.S (Kaos, her siblings Sasha and Gunnar & their lovely mom) sent us a package. Here's a peak at what they sent us.. there is big bag of treats for me (ok and Hershey too), gifts for our mom (a pin and a bangle) and a card from Kaos' mom to our mom. Our mom's eyes turned teary after she read the card because she was so touched by what Kao's mom wrote.

Thank you dear friends for the lovely presents and your thoughtfulness!! **giant hugs for all of you**

After we made mom open the bag of treats for us, they brought Hershey to the dog park to meet her friends.

'Father and Daughter'...

C'mon mom... hurry up will you?!

Mom!! Do you have to do this to me??!

Anyone wants to play with me? - by Hershey


Huskee: Busy sleeping and pretending to ignore the mad pup

Mom: Busy watching 'Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?'

Dad: Busy playing with his PlayStation 3

Hershey: Busy trying to get mom to play with her

Something awesome arrived for me in the post on Friday... can you guess who it is from?

It is from Mango and the package contains a yummy packet of pumpkin treats (which I am muching on as I am writing this) as well as a beaaaaaaaautifuuuuuuuuul medal for my Reader's Choice Award at the recently held Mango Minster 2009!

Look at the medal... isn't it lovely??

For once, I didn't mind doing a bit of modelling for mom since I was so proud of my medal. Do I look good with my medal? Hershey wanted to borrow it from me but there's no way I will lend it to her because I don't know what she may do to it with her razor teefies. I did share my pumpkin treats with her though...

Thank you for the great prizes Mango!!

Crime Scene #9

This is the ninth instalment of Hershey's infamous 'Crime Scenes'. Mom and I caught Hershey with the small pillow that mom uses to cover her face when she sleeps (it's weird I know) and Hershey was, shall we say, showing the pillow some 'lovin'.

Acting all innocent...

Hershey in action!!

Caught red-handed!

(Can you see the wet saliva stains at the corner of the pillow?)

Mom almost had a heart attack when she saw what Hershey did and told dad that it's time he talked to his 'princess' (**Huskee making gagging sound**) about the ummmm.. birds and bees. It's also about time mom called the vet to make an appointment for some pup to be spayed...

I think it's high time too cos Hershey will be turing ONE in about a month's time on 24April. I can't wait because after that, mom says Hershey will no longer be a 'pup' and won't be able to get away with so many things like now!!

How did everyone's weekend go? Mine was just so-so... Hershey and I both had our nails cut by mom because she could hear the clicking of our nails on the tiled floor, and that's usually the indication that our nails need to be clipped. This is really one of my pet hate... I don't mind them playing with my paws, but clipping my nails is just a 'no-no'. The only good thing that came out of it is I got to eat 2 extra big pieces of smoked ham while they were cutting my nails (to TRY and distract me, I guess) whereas Hershey got N.O.T.H.I N.G!! (Mom: It's because Huskee gets quite stressed out and struggles a lot when I cut his nails, so to 'bribe' him to calm down, we use ham. On the contrary, clipping Hershey's nails is a breeze, she just stays still till it's done so no bribing necessary! LOL!!) This is a pic of me after the 'session'... I basically felt sorry for myself and moped around for the rest of the day.

Oh I have a little favour to ask... My friend Kaos's mom is feeling a bit low because she lost her job last week and could do with some cheering up. Can you please stop by her bloggie and give her mom a hug please?

After mom and dad's 'strange encounter' with the music coming from the lift 2 weeks ago, Mom started again to wonder about 'Guardian Angels' (as in whether they really existed). She started doubting that she even had a guardian angel who was supposed to be looking out for her ever since she lost Lucas, as she felt that whoever/ wherever the 'guardian angel' was, he/ she wasn't looking out for her when she really needed him/ her most.

A week after the the strange encounter, she chanced upon this book at a bookshop titled 'An Angel on My Shoulder', which is a book written by some psychic and the book claimed to contain true life accounts from some people's encounter with their guardian angels. Curiosity made her buy the book and while it isn't one of the most interesting/ captivating books she's read, the book contained some interesting points... and one particular chapter which caught her attention was about how you will know if your guardian angel is around you.

Well according to that book, you should ask your guardian angel to let you know that he/ she is around you by giving you a sign. Apparently, some 'typical' angel signals are: a white feather, rainbows, repetitive numbers (like 11, 33, 44), music, smells, clouds, etc (and you need to have an open mind and be alert of the things around you on that day). Mom was cynical but she followed the instructions of the book since she doesn't have anything to lose. I think she did it more to prove her point that she does not have a guardian angel.

The end result?!! Here it is:

At the end of the day when mom was about to give up hope (she actually forgot about it totally as she had a busy day at work), this is what she saw while she was watering our withering (withered is more like it!!) plants outside... It's a pretty rainbow!! Pity that the photo doesn't do it much justice because it was really colourful and beautiful. It so happens that on that particular day, mom went home from work earlier than usual as she was feeling usually tired, cos on most days, she will only reach home around 7.30pm-8pm when the sky's already dark. Coincidence?? Sign from the guardian angel?!!

** Mom here: I must clarify that I have never been overly superstitious or been remotely interested in the 'supernatural', actually on the contrary, I have been rather cynical of such things/ occurences. I'm not sure if this is merely a coincidence (but honestly, I can't even recall the last time I saw a rainbow), so doesn't this incident make you wonder maybe, just maybe, there are really guardian angels out there?

Seriously... I really think Hershey has a thing for tennis (or Roger Federer). All of us were lying peacefully in bed and channel surfing (the human's favourite activity most of the weekends) and once we got to the sports channel which was showing a tennis match, Hershey suddenly perked up and got very excited. She started pacing on the bed in front of the TV and started making excited noises... (it sounded like the cross between the cooing sound that doves make and whining).

Here are some pics to prove my point... (and I think my sister is mad). She was actually 'watching' intently for a good 5 minutes or so and mom had to change the channel to stop her from being so excited.

Hershey (perking up): Oh wow... Tennis match!!

Let's see if I can spot Federer...

This isn't him...

and nope... this isn't him either

Ok, guess he isn't playing in this match.. **disappointed sigh**

Now mom is really curious because I have never shown any interest on what is showing on TV (and that's cos I am N.O.R.M.A.L woman!!) I'd be concerned if I were mom cos we've got a nutty Border Collie living under the same roof!!... So we need some advice please. Is it common for dogs to exhibit this kind of behaviour?? (I reckon we should be making an appointment with a shrink soon).

Sadly, we came back from the weekend to the news that Bogart's daddy had passed away. Despite the outpouring of love, support and prayers, it wasn't enough to keep him with those who loved him most.

Death is not something that I can fully get my paws on and I don't understand it one bit. But I do know that the one thing which can surpass death is love, because love can keep our dearly departed ones alive in our hearts for ever and ever.

Mom also says it's a reality check for her to treasure all the people (and furries) around her, and not to take anyone for granted. She admits that she does take people (mostly dad) and things around her for granted without really realising it.

I think it's about time we all learn to love and live each day fully as if it were the last. Ok, for the 'love' part, I shall start showing my LOVE to the ice-cream man down the street, and maybe the postman... ummm... maybe not. And to live each day to the fullest, mom, can you give me ALL the treats you have hidden in the drawer and ALL the new toys you have hidden in your cupboard? (yes, I know they are there...)

The silly girl is playing a game of tug with mom... Look at the concentration on her face!!

Hershey: Pull... and I pulllllllllllllllllllllll.......

... and I pull somemore.. hey mom, give it to me now, won't you?

Hey, who turned the lights off? Where are you mom??!

Ok, this is much better.. Peek-a Boo!!

Hershey and I competed in the Mango Minster 2009 and would you believe it, we each won something!! This morning I received this in my email... what a wonderful way to start the week.

The competition ribbon below was designed by Chef, for all doggies who participated in the event. We will display this ribbon proudly on our banner.

This is what I (Huskee) won at this prestigious event... I won the Reader's Choice Award for Toy Group, and I got to share this honour with my good friend, Bae Bae. I reckon this is one of the few rare occasions whereby a cross breed ever won anything at these kind of competitions... I can only thank Mango for allowing dog breeds that are not recognised by AKC to participate in his competition, plus all my friends who voted for me!! **big hugs**)

Hershey will not be left out of anything fun, so she participated in the Herding Group segment and was the Second Runner-up!! (I gotto admit I am proud of my not-so-little little sister.) Thanks to the judge of this category, Judge Kylie for letting her win! Hershey is totally stoked. This is the 2nd award she's won so far in her young life, the first being the prestigious Stain Award that she got for pooping on mom's white leather couch.

Congrats to all the winners and contestants, and I am looking forward to Mango Minster 2010!

This is my 300th post!!

I can't believe I have come this far (ok ok... I know some of my friends are already way past their 500th post), but it really is an 'achievement' for me because my mom is someone who has a relatively short attention span and there is rarely anything that she can continue to do for long. She loses interest as quickly as she gains it. Well, maybe other than her job (no choice 'cos we need the money for my food, treats, toys, etc). We have lost count of the number of cross-stitch projects she embarked on... The one that I can still clearly remember is the one she wanted to do for dad on the first anniversary of them dating. Until now (some 10 years later), it is remains half done, and I don't think mom has any intention to complete it.

Miraculously, we have managed to keep this up for coming 4 years now (it will be my 4th year Blogging Anniversay in late May)!! During this time, there were periods of time where we wanted to stop blogging for various reasons, but each time we visited our friend's blog, it motivated us to continue on. We have come to enjoy the whole blogging process. It's fun to be able to share our adventures with our friends and it's even more fun to read about their adventures even though we are miles apart. More importantly, at a low point of our life, we have been the receipients of the love, support and warmth that DWB is known for, so in turn, we want to give our love and support to those in their times of need.

We have walked a long road, but the road ahead of us is even longer, and I am glad I have friends like you to share my journey with.

****************************************************

I'd also like to take the opportunity to spread the word for donations to the Victoria Bushfire through RSPCA. Although both Hershey and I live in Singapore now, we were borned in Victoria... mom also said that I have some Kangaroo blood running through my doggie veins because I jump around so much, and Hershey has some Tasmanian Devil blood running through hers. Australia, Victoria in paticular, have always been close to our hearts... hence we would really like to do our part for the poor animals who have been affected by the fire.

We have already made our donation (see, that's why our mom needs to keep her job!!), any money you can spare will make a difference.

We discovererd that Hershey likes tennis, although I am not sure whether it's the GAME that she likes or the PLAYER/ S. I tried asking her but her lips are sealed, so she is not telling.

Dad was watching the Australia Open on TV few weeks back and Hershey started behaving very strangely. First she started off staring at the screen (refer to pic #1), then she began leaping continuously AT THE screen. I was observing her and I think her target (or victim?) was poor Roger Federer. She kept her gaze on the screen for long periods of time without looking away, and this was what caught our dad's attention ('cos she is usually such an energizer bunny).

Pic #1

Hershey: Woof... who is that cutie?!

Pic #2

Hershey: Hey!! Where did my Roger Federer go?? Who is this man?!

Pic #3

Hershey: Hi Handsome... you have a cute bum bum **blushing furiously**

Pic #4

Hershey: Quickly mom... take a pic of me and my Prince Charming!!

Pic #5

Hershey: Another one please mom.. Look at those broad shoulders **swoon**

Although Roger Federer lost the match to Nadal, he won himself an ardent fan that day. (Wait till he finds out his latest die-hard fan is a 10month old Border Collie... I wonder what his reaction will be..)

Our mom and dad had a strange encounter when they were coming home on Monday night after work. The car park of our apartment is located in the basement level and both of them were waiting for the lift to bring them up to the apartment when they heard some music coming from inside the life. The music got louder as the lift reached the basement, and they didn’t think anything of it as they thought there could be someone in the lift playing with his/ her mobile phone (or something).

When the lift doors opened, the music got louder but there was no one in the lift!! Mom said heard the song loud and clear and said that it was a children’s song which she used to sing in kindergarten a loooooong time ago but she cannot recall the name of the song or even the lyrics… she only remembered the tune. She and dad then assumed that the condominium people had decided to install a sound system in the lift (as this is the first time they heard it since moving in more than 6 months ago) and they even laughed at the unusual choice of music.

Anyway they got into the lift and as the doors were closing, the music gradually faded away… when they reached our floor, no music this time… so they thought that the music is only played on certain floors (duh??!). Mom’s curiosity then got the better of her and she made dad accompany her to the basement again to see if there was music… well, there wasn’t any music this time. At that moment, dad looked mom in the eye and asked ‘you heard it too right?’. **insert goosebumps*

• Was it Lucas trying to make his presence felt?


• It was a full moon on that night, so could it be ‘something’/ ‘someone’ else?

They are still scratching their (respective) heads over the encounter… So what do you guys think??

Oh and last but definitely not least, since Valentine's Day is just 2 days away, I have something for my Baby...

Fenway the handsome Border Collie gave us the Honest Weblog award. It is such an honour to receive this award from Fenway. Here are the rules:

"When accepting this auspicious award, you must write a post bragging about it, including the name of the misguided soul who thinks you deserve such acclaim, and link back to said person so everyone knows he or she is real. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design. Or improvise by including bloggers who have no idea who you are because you don’t have 7 friends. Show the 7 random victims’ names and links and leave a harassing comment informing them that they were prized with “Honest Weblog”. Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon. List at least ten honest things about yourself. Then, pass it on!"



Huskee

• I prefer the company of humans over dogs


• Once when mom’s sister was playing with me on the bed, I got a tad carried away and accidentally bit her on the lip. The result? She had trout-pout for a week… (Angelina Jolie will be so jealous if she saw it)


• I have very crooked teefies


• My best friend is Elmo. It is a small stuff toy (Elmo of course) that had been given to me when I was a 3 month old pup. Unlike all my other toys, Elmo is still intact and I lovingly take him for a walk-about in the house once in a while


• I give out silent, but deadly farts when you least expect it


• I am very fussy about my food - I only eat one particular brand of dog food (Heaven forbid if that company closes down) and I have even turned my nose up at home cooked food made by my mom)


• I am also very fussy about toys - I only play with small squeaky toys that I can carry around in my mouth. I am not interested in Hershey’s toys ‘cos they are too big for me.


• I am terrified of thunder and other loud noises


• I love car rides and always behave really well during the journey


• My nicknames are: KeeKee Boy, Zizou, Fee-ly, ‘Your son’ (I don’t know about this one… mom uses it when she is speaking to dad and I only seem to hear it when I am in trouble)

Hershey

• I get to ‘inherit’ all the toys that had been rejected by Huskee


• I am the complete opposite of Huskee… I love to play with other dogs!!


• I have a pooping problem… I either have diarrhea for 3 days OR I have constipation for 3 days (it is driving mom nuts)


• I am in the midst of my first ‘heat’… **blush blush** (Huskee: Oooh, the baby is now a lady!!)


• I will go for my 'snip snip' operation once my heat is over (can anyone tell me if it is painful?? I am terrified at the thought of it..)


• I will eat anything and everything (plastic squeaky balls included)


• I am always pacing along the back seat during car rides


• I have dew claws on my back paws. I heard that while it is not unusal in certain breeds, it is relatively rare. (If I lived on a farm and were a working dog, I will need to go for an operation to have them removed since they may catch and tear while I am 'working'.)


• Huskee does not like to play with me 'cos he thinks I am too boistorous and plays too rough


• My nicknames are: Princess, Shey-Shey Girl, Hersh Hersh…

We'd like to pass this award (and tag) on to:

Kaos, Ludo, DoDo & MoMo, Angel, JB & Bear (and Dumplin'), Chow Chow and Marvin!

I want to share with you some pretty funny pictures taken by mom of dad's first attempt to teach Hershey how to jump over the hurdles.

Hershey is facing the WRONG direction and dad's trying to get her attention..

Running around the obstacle is not right either!!

She jumped over it FINALLY but her hind leg caught the pole!!

Hershey decided to give herself a rest while poor dad is still not giving up...

Finally, ONE successful attempt!!

At the end of it all, the one in blue was more tired than the black & white one... Hiak hiak...

Thanks for your patience... Ok here's the scoop.



Saga One

Mom was preparing to give Hershey her dinner on Saturday evening when she suddenly started retching... After a few anxious moments, out come a completely disintegrated rubber ball. Hershey had somehow chewed MY squeaky rubber ball into pieces and swollowed all the pieces (just in case anyone is wondering, I did not give the ball to her, she took it on her own accord so I had nothing to do with it... **crosses paws**). I must tell you that it is pretty amazing that the silly girl found the old rubber ball tasty enough to eat it. I mean she ate the whole entire ball!!

Mom did not even realise the ball is missing since there were no remnants around the house to raise any suspicion, moreover, Hershey seemed to be like her normal self (other than not pooping for 3 whole days... where does she store all of the ummm... poop??). In hindsight, we should have taken some photos of the remains of my sqeuaky ball (may it rest in peace), but mom was too worried and grossed out.

It was a weekend and it's too late to bring her to the vet, so they opted to just monitor her for a while. Moreover, looking at the remains of what she threw up, mom estimated that it seems to be all there is to the ill-fated ball.

Below is a pic of my handsome self with a ball that resembles the one that Hershey ate (that one was a different color).

Saga Two

This is actually a continuation from Saga One. As I have mentioned above, they were monitoring Hershey on Sat night and on Sun, she seemed to be perfectly normal i.e. eating, drinking and being a nuisance. Then dad noticed that on Sunday night, she seemed a little lethargic and listless, so to be on the safe side, he decided that they should take her to the vet on Monday. Moreover, it's Day 4 and still no poop.

So off she went to the vet on Monday together with dad and while they were waiting for their turn, dad tied her loosely on one of the leg of the chair that he was sitting on. After a long wait, dad went over to the counter to find out how long more he had to wait and at that instant, Hershey decided to do The Great Escape. She tugged on her leash (which was still being tied to the chair) and with all her tugging, the chair toppled. It freaked her out totally and she bolted - right into a busy road in front of the clinic!! Dad was alerted by the panic cries of the people who saw it happen (he had his back to her then) and dashed after the runaway pup screaming her name at the same time. That road is a 3-lane road that is usually quite busy with vehicles travelling fairly fast. Dad said that at that moment, the only thing on his mind was 'Sh*t, she's going to be run over and I gotto call my wife and let her know Hershey is dead'.

Probably Hershey's guardian angels were looking out for her because traffic was surprising light right at that moment (dad only had to stop one oncoming vehicle). He yelled at her again and even more surprisingly his recall worked (one of the few rare occasions). She sheepishly trotted from the middle of that road back to the side where dad was. Dad grabbed her and reprimanded her B.I.G time. All the people in the clinic who saw the entire incident commented to dad on how lucky Hershey was.

Eventually dad did not wait for the vet as he was shaking with shock/ anger/ relief and just wanted to leave the place. I think Hershey must have been traumatised by the incident... so much so that she pooped once she reached home!

Mom almost had a heart attack when dad recounted the story to her back home. It reminded her of the time where an unnamed pup **clears throat nervously** did the exact same thing to her around 9 years ago. She had to stop traffic in the middle of a T-junction in order save the pup. She wondered if the unnamed pup had anything to do with Hershey's Great Escape.

Here's the lucky girl... still happily oblivious to how close she was to being a run over by a car.

** Disclaimer **

I, Huskee Boy, solemly swear that I:

1) did not give the rubber ball to Hershey

2) did not teach or in any way encouraged her to eat the rubber ball

3) did not have anything to do with The Great Escape

I have got news about Hershey to update everyone... there were two H.U.G.E sagas created by my little sister that almost made mom faint and dad have a heart attack. Mom is very busy at work today (after the Chinese New Year holidays) so I will try and share the details with you tomorrow.