Mary and Casey's Wedding

August 30th, 2010 was our friends Mary and Casey's Wedding Day.
Mary manages the doggy day care where we've been taking Dolly and Franklin for about 6 years. She's the most kind-hearted, caring, wonderful person you'd ever meet. She gives everyone a smile every day (even on the challenging days) and treats all of the dogs as if they were her own.
On Monday afternoon, August 30, a smart man named Casey took her for his wife at the court house in historic Annapolis. I(Rob) was fortunate enough to be there (taking a couple hours off of work). Mary looked stunning in her wedding gown and I got to play "usher" -kind of, while we were waiting for the groom and his family to get situated. I escorted Mary and her dad to the back door of the courthouse's chapel and watched them walk up the short aisle to the altar. There were about 30 people packed in that little chapel, and it was a short and sweet ceremony that brought some moist eyes in the crowd. When Casey was asked if he took Mary to be his bride he said loudly "Absolutely!" That's love! Congratulations Mary and Casey, and we wish you a lifetime of happiness! It was a wonderful ceremony. Here are the pictures:

Smiling on a Sunday

Our Dachshund Franklin and Weimaraner Dolly love the weekends when we're around all the time. They like following us outside, too and sniffing the perimeter of the yard to keep the evil squirrels and bunnies from invading their turf. We thought these pictures of them with goofy smiles would make you smile!

Saturdays are Meant to be Busy!

Saturdays always seem to be busy around the house.
MORNING STUFF - By 12 noon, we had already walked the dogs twice, Tom got a haircut, went to Lowes, swept and mopped the entire first floor, loaded the truck with construction debris, went to the dump, and had a Dunkin' Donut breakfast sandwich and coffee for lunch. Then the afternoon started!
- We've hired a great, hardworking perfectionist named Brian who painted our living room (photo below of picture and lamps), stairway and upstairs hallway, painted the master bedroom (photo below) and our sitting room, painted and installed 6 new doors we bought. He's been doing that over the week, and today he finished painting and installing the doors. (Photo below are the spray painted doors in our front yard). We hired someone to do all the painting, because Rob is not allowed to paint. Tom has seen Rob's painting skills and we'll just say they're not too good. Perhaps that's intentional? :)



AFTERNOON STUFF -The afternoon was just as busy as the morning. Tom did edging work in the yard while Rob mowed the lawn. Then Tom went on a weeding and gardening frenzy (see below), while Rob took the dogs (Dolly and Franklin) inside and bathed them (see photos below of Dolly in a towel, and Franklin in the sink!), cleaned their ears, and brushed their teeth. After the bath, Dolly and Franklin just had to crash! Rob also wrote a press release about his book and updated this blog...before going onto laundry and the next project!

Koch Foundation-Owns a Lot- Funds Right-Wing Causes

Tom heard a story today on NPR about the Koch Foundation and how it owns a lot of things, including companies that make products, and supports Right-wing politics.
SO... we will NOT be supporting them, their products or anything they put their hands on.
Here's the NPR Story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129425186
NPR STORY ON-LINE: The Brothers Koch: Rich, Political And Playing To Win
Chances are you've never heard of Charles and David Koch. The brothers own Koch Industries, a Kansas-based conglomerate that operates oil refineries in several states and is the company behind brands including Brawny paper towels, Dixie cups, Georgia-Pacific lumber, Lycra fibers and Stainmaster carpet. Forbes ranks Koch Industries as the second-largest privately held company in the U.S. — and the Koch brothers themselves? They're worth billions.
And in the past 30 years, they've funneled more than $100 million into dozens of political organizations, many of which are trying to steer the country in a more libertarian direction. Among the organizations they've backed are the Cato Institute, a Washington think tank that has recently raised questions about climate change, and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia — which one Democratic strategist called "ground zero for deregulation policy in Washington."ROB'S COMMENTS: Anyone that supports the Cato Institute has a right-wing, anti-science agenda. 97% of scientists world-wide KNOW that climate change is a reality. The other 3% are ignorant and have a right-wing political agenda. Period. I WORK with data every day that PROVES Climate change and global warming is a reality and has been since the Industrial revolution. No Question.
We don't need to support these ignorant people (the Koch brothers) to fund more ignorant people. They don't know ANYTHING about climate change, but support an anti-climate change view because of their political agenda. So, why can rich people who are ignorant of science support people with their uninformed scientific views? As a meteorologist, I'm disgusted with them and others like them.

WHAT THE KOCH WEBSITE SAYS: The Koch Foundation began with the vision of Mr. Carl and Mrs. Paula Koch in 1979. It was Mr. Koch's belief that he was "just a steward of the finances given by God to use on His behalf," inspired by the commitment he and his wife, Paula, made to founding the Koch Foundation. Thus, began a commitment by the Koch family to continue the vision of Mr. and Mrs. Koch in supporting evangelization efforts of the Catholic Church.
FAQS: The Foundation only provides grant awards to Catholic, non-profit organizations.http://www.thekochfoundation.org/faqs.html#faq2

What You Need to Know About the Egg Recall

What You Need to Know About the Egg Recall
Posted by Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on August 26, 2010 at 11:11 AM EDT
In recent weeks, an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis has sickened hundreds of people across the country and has led to a recall of shell eggs. FDA, CDC and state colleagues have worked hard to review reports of illness, to link these illnesses to eggs, and to trace these eggs to the farms involved.
We have had a team of investigators on two farms in Iowa investigating the problem, and ensuring that contaminated eggs are not shipped. The FDA is monitoring the recall, including conducting audit checks at retail stores, wholesalers, and distributors to make sure the recalled shell eggs are being removed from the market.
To avoid the possibility of foodborne illness, it’s always the case that consumers need to handle eggs safely. That means they need to keep them refrigerated, wash their hands before and after handling, and cook the yolk and egg white thoroughly. It’s also important to wash cooking utensils and food preparation surfaces after handling eggs.
Consumers should go to FoodSafety.gov to check for the list of recalled eggs and to get related egg safety information, including details on how to handle and prepare eggs safely.
Eggs tainted with salmonella look, smell, and taste normal. If you have any question as to whether the eggs in your refrigerator are among those that have been recalled, please either discard them or take them back to the store. Check foodsafety.gov for updates on the recall and tips on what you can do to reduce your risk of salmonella from eggs.

Product Recall Website- to bookmark

Here's a great website that everyone should bookmark - ESPECIALLY if you have children. Every week there's some child-related product getting recalled.
The website is for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission who is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.
Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

Part 2: Friends and the American History Museum

PART 2: We met our friends Dave and Laurie and their three cool kids (visiting from Massachusetts) on Sunday and toured the Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington, DC- then went on to enjoy the Smithsonian's American History Museum. Here are photos from that adventure... 1) Walking toward the front door (Tom wearing his "I can say What I'm thinking" tee shirt); 2) Tom showing Julia Child's kitchen - that was moved into the museum as a display! 3) Laurie and kids looking at Carol Burnett's drapery dress from her tv show skit/parody on the movie "Gone with the Wind." 4 & 5) Some great group shots facing the Washington Mall.

PART 1: Friends and the Old Post Office Pavillion in Washington DC

Months ago, our friends Dave and Laurie were planning a summertime visit to Washington, DC with their three kids: Nick, Matt and Emily. Tom helped them out with sights to see (he knows DC well), and the trip happened this weekend. So, we got to meet them for lunch at the Old Post Office Pavilion, where we took the elevator to the 12th floor and got some great views from the tower! Of course Tom and Rob had to take their now-famous "goofy face" photo from the tower with the Washington, DC background. There's a great family photo of Dave and Laurie and the kids in front of the bells from the Old Post Office tower here, too.
This is Part 1 of a 2 Part Blog. The second part will have pictures from our adventures in the American History Museum.
Here are the pictures from the Old Post Office Pavillion:

Political Signs Litter the Landscape / Short-term Memory Loss

It's only August and we've seen political signs all over the highway, sidewalks, and residental lawns. There are more political signs up now than housing sales and development advertisements. We notice that Md. Gubentorial challenger Bob Erlich (R) has more signs up than anyone else so early on.
What truly amazes me is the SHORT-TERM MEMORY people have in our state and the entire country! Bob Erlich was an awful governor in Maryland. People were happy to vote him out. He danced around every issue and raised taxes, and a LOT of taxes. He tried calling them "fees" instead. Here's an interview done by a local reporter this year:

**Nationally, the short-term memories of voters astounds me. They keep blaming the current president for the Deficit. HELLO!!!! When Pres. Clinton left office we had a surplus. When President Bush left office we had a RECORD DEFICIT (he wiped out Clinton's surplus), left us in 2 wars, a recession and horrible condition. The current president had to add to the deficit to provide job extensions and help bail out the auto industry (which has MOSTLY REPAID their loans and are now back on their feet). SO, why is it that people don't remember how we got to where we are today? I think the country needs Ginkgo Biloba to enhance their short-term memories.

Movie Night: Catwoman / Surprise Visit

Tom helped a friend for the last three days with his house down in South Carolina (long story), so Rob got to watch a movie that hasn't been on Tom's "To Watch List"- Jeff came over one evening and we watched Catwoman Its a new take on Catwoman (a villianess-turned hero in the comic books) as this film depicted Catwoman as a superhero It was released by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures on July 23, 2004. This story features a completely new character, Patience Phillips, donning the Catwoman costume. The film has no ties to the Batman series other than the name "Catwoman." The film stars Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy, and Alex Borstein. It was poorly received by critics and audiences. Jeff and I thought it was "okay" and could've been better if it stuck with the original character and a less revealing costume.
On Friday evening our friends Cary and Susan surprised Rob (Tom was in SC by then) with Dunkin' Donuts coffee, donuts and muffins! What a GREAT way to start the weekend. Good friends, a surprise AND Dunkin' Donuts coffee. :)

More "Dog Days" Photos of Summer

WAITING FOR DINNER - I took this picture of Franklin the Dachshund and Dolly the Weimaraner from my cell phone while they were patiently waiting in the kitchen for their dinner. I buy turkey and ham and mix it in with their dry food, and when they smell it, they sit up and pay attention!


"WHERE'S FRANKLIN?" - Our friend Amy's dog Emma stays over a couple of days a week when I (Rob) work from home. This week, Emma, Dolly and Franklin had an outdoor venture and all walked around. Franklin ran into the garden and was obscured by foliage when Dolly and Emma were searching for him in this picture!

A Great Story with Pictures Only

This is an incredible pictoral of a dog being rescued from a raging river from a bystander in 2008. I'm unsure what country this is from. See the whole series at: http://www.pets-n-people.net/vb/showthread.php?t=15613

(Thanks to Lynn C. for finding this!)

SIGH- Prop 8 Upheld Again... But idiots can marry!

On Monday, August 16, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals announced an indefinite stay of Judge Walker's ruling striking down Proposition 8. SIGH.
What the hell is wrong with people?
Have married gay couples in 5 states increased the straight divorce rate?
Has the world ended? NO.
Equal needs to be equal. This is getting really tedious and stupid. Marriage is not a religious institution. It's a civil right. People who have no religion marry all the time.
What makes me even MORE furious is when we watch TV shows like Judge Judy, where straight couples with NO JOB, NO EDUCATION, and one is either on drugs, is an alcoholic, or has done Jail Time have between 3 and 7 children that they can't support! IT'S OKAY FOR THEM TO MARRY, though, because they're straight. Stupid, but straight. There are lots of grounded gay couples with good jobs, homes, etc. that can raise children in a safe, healthy environment.... but, they can't legally marry (in most states). How stupid is that?
The good news is that the 9th Circuit expedited the case for a hearing on December 6 -- an unusual fast-tracking of the appeals process and a positive sign. *I hope*

The Passing of Pronto

Our friends Mike and Will lost their best friend Pronto last week. Pronto was a 14 year old Jack Russell terrier that Mike's mom surprised him with for his birthday.
We've known Pronto for a long time, and he was a funny, energetic, playful dog, who had a great spirit.
We learned of Pronto's passing through Mike's blog, and everyone should read his tribute and see the funny, wonderful photos he posted of Pronto.
To see this amazing tribute go to: http://zentropolis.com/logs_2010_08_11.htm

As Mike noted, it's a tribute to Pronto "...for all the funny stories, warm recollections, and striking photographs that mark grand little life."
With love and deepest sympathy, Tom & Rob, Dolly & Franklin

Email to a Hateful Preacher -who asked people to PRAY AGAINST gay marriage

Some of the people who run some churches have LOST their way. One local preacher has asked people to PRAY for hatred and intolerance (his request to his church members below). I lost my patience with the jerk and sent him an email (below).
Meanwhile, HEADLINES ON AUGUST 13: California gay marriage can resume next week: judgeThirty-nine U.S. states have laws explicitly prohibiting gay marriage. Only five states -- Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire -- and the District of Columbia -- allow same-sex unions. HAS ANYONE DIED OR SUFFERED BECAUSE OF IT? OF COURSE NOT.
QUOTES FROM THE NEWS:
1) "I think they should have lifted the stay today," said James Olivera, 58, a gay marriage supporter. (He should be patient)
2) "God's holy law has been trampled on by one person," responded Viktor Choban, 27, a supporter of the ban.(This guy is simply an ass).

THIS MARYLAND "PREACHER" (Deacon) SENT THE FOLLOWING EMAIL OUT TO THE MEMBERS OF HIS CHURCH TO BOYCOTT HOME DEPOT (who supports same-sex benefits). -ASKING PEOPLE TO PRAY FOR HATRED AND INTOLERANCE!!!! - SO, I WROTE THE JERK IN AN EMAIL BELOW:
Kendall Miller (Annapolis) asks that we pray that
1) God will accomplish HIS PURPOSE through BOYCOTT HOME DEPOT
everything exists for the praise of the glory of God's grace..
2) we will stand firm for the TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE....
Gen 1:27 God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
Gen 2;24 God' s plan for MARRIAGE:
a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
With God nothing shall be impossible....
MY RESPONSE TO THIS IDIOT:
Dear Mr. Miller- I met you once about a year ago, and recently received this email you distributed about asking for prayers for the AFA's agenda.
Christ did NOT preach hatred and intolerance, and that's what you are asking people to pray for, against people who are gay or lesbian.
People do not "choose" to be gay -they are born that way. If you believe otherwise you are an uneducated person who simply won't try understanding
people who are not like you.
To ask God to be hateful, intolerant and judgemental against anyone is hateful. Obviously, that's the kind of church you run. You should be ashamed of
yourself. And asking people to follow you in this "prayer for hatred" is a sin against God himself. Obviously, you are NO man of God. A true man of God would act like Christ and welcome all people, not kick them to the curb and alienate them. Christ welcomed all people, YOU DO NOT.
Next time, before you ask people to pray in the name of hatred, exclusion and intolerance, THINK. Is THAT what Jesus would do? No, of course not.
I urge you to really think about what it means to be a true Christian. Hatred should not be a Christian value.
RG

Nitpicking and Politics

I've noticed lately that some Americans will nitpick about every little thing that the President does. Think about these:
1) VACATION: In July -the President and his family went to Maine for a vacation. People bitched that he should have gone to Louisiana and swam in the Gulf with his family to bring tourists in.
MY TAKE: Who in the hell would go to Louisiana in JULY for a vacation? The heat index is 105F there at that time. Even Tom and I went to Maine last summer for a vacation where it was cooler. Anyone that bitched about the Prez's trip to Maine is an idiot.
-As a matter of fact,this week, he DID take his family to the Gulf coast and went swimming there (likely to shut stupid critics up): Obama Swims In Gulf, Says Beaches Open For Business Date: 16-Aug-10
President Barack Obama went swimming off the coast of Florida on Saturday and declared the Gulf area's beaches "open for business," trying to show by example that a region hit by the BP oil spill was safe for tourists to enjoy.

2) THE NY MOSQUE: We UNDERSTAND that building a mosque in NY at the towers site is in POOR TASTE. However, the NY City Council APPROVED IT, not the President. SO, people need to direct their ire to the City Council. The President simply noted that this country promotes freedom to practice any religion, and it's a city matter, so anyone who buys the land has a right to build anything on it- (if the City approves), EVEN if its in poor taste. How in the Hell is this the President's fault?
Anyone who thinks it is, is a fool.

Dollywood's New Cool Adventure!

Dollywood is my (Rob) favorite place to vacation, especially with the vista Smokey Mountain view all around. This year, there's a new attraction called "Adventure Mountain" - like a giant obstacle course, but elevated... where you can take easy or difficult routes. Here's the video promoting it... (Looks fun!)

SUMMARY: Adventure Mountain features three distinct obstacle courses, of varying difficulty, with rope trails, net ladders, swinging bridges and other tasks. For younger kids (ages 2-6), the area will include a scaled-down play area, called Camp Teachittoomee. "Adventure Mountain is a harnessed, interactive experience for explorers over 42 inches in height in good physical condition.
Three adventures will dare each explorer with more than 140 different interactive outdoor challenges, ranging from easy to expert. Navigate rugged rope trails, net ladders and swinging bridges and more as explorers challenge themselves or their friends and family in a competition of agility and skill.

Severe T-Storm Video from Today!

Here's some video I took from our front door of the beginning of this morning's severe thunderstorm. The lightning was mild in this video, and really ramped up afterward. Note that the rain was so heavy it appears to be rolling down the street in waves.
Here's the National Weather Service Bulletin: AT 735 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BOWIE TO CORAL HILLS TO THE I66 AND I495 INTERCHANGE...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

Pair Charged With Leaving 6 Dogs In Car

This stupidity absolutely SICKENS me. I did a search on the male idiot, and found out that he had also been arrested for child pornography: http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/worcester-county-bureau-of.html
I think that people should be subjected to an IQ test to adopt a dog or cat. These 2 idiots should be locked in a car with the windows up tomorrow as punishment, AND they should NOT be allowed to open the windows or doors for 12 hours. That will teach them.
Aug 9, 2010 7:04 pm US/Eastern
Pair Charged With Leaving 6 Dogs In Car
SALISBURY, Md. (AP) ―Salisbury Police say a man and a woman left six dogs locked in a hot car for more than three hours. One dog died.
Kirt Barren Greenberg, 45, and Shannon Mecall Hussain, 36, both of Berlin, are charged with six counts of inflicting unnecessary suffering and pain and other offenses.
Police were called to a vehicle at the Centre Mall in Salisbury (Maryland) Sunday afternoon. The six dogs, who appeared to be in distress from the heat, were in the car with the windows down only one inch.
Police entered the car and found the temperature to be more than 105 degrees.
Officers say one dog was unresponsive and later died. The other dogs were given water and revived.
***The remaining dogs should be immediately placed in foster homes.***

Update on yesterday's blog about Target

Here are some updates from friends about yesterday's blog about Target giving to right-wing, anti-gay candidates (yet they support gay pride events)...

ANN SAID: Fortunately they are already rectifying the situation. In contrast to this glitch in their operations, Target sponsor the Twin Cities Gay Pride Festival. Here is an article that talks about the current state of their dealing with the situ...ation.
There is also a list at the bottom of the article of companies that support MN Forward (the organization sponsoring the anti-gay candidate). They are... Red Wing Shoe Company Inc., Best Buy Co., Pentair Inc., Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., Davisco Foods International Inc. and Polaris Industries Inc. here's the article: http://www.comcast.net/articles/finance/20100805/US.Target.Corporate.Giving/
They still have to get that money back. It'll be interesting to see how that works (if it works).

Target Stores Supporting Right-Wing Extremist - No more shopping there

Target Stores gave a candidate running for Governor in Minnesota $150,000 recently. That wouldn't be a problem, however, because Target stores have participated in gay pride parades and sold the gay community on shopping there the candidate they now support is an anti-gay extremist who wants to do away with all gay rights. It makes no sense! We're done shopping there until changes are made
But Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel hasn't promised that the company will stop intervening in elections. He emailed Target employees and defended the donation as focused on "business objectives"—and, later, pledged to set up a "review process" for future donations. LINKS TO ARTICLES ABOUT IT ARE BELOW.

VIDEO BELOW: A woman who has a gay son went to her local Target to protest respectfully—and the resulting video racked up over 200,000 views on YouTube.4 Target was forced to set up a special phone line to handle the volume of customers' phone calls.

"Target CEO defends donating to anti-gay gubernatorial candidate; boycott gains momentum," Examiner.com, July 30, 2010

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89744&id=22407-3416311-37IjRtx&t=8

"Target CEO Apologizes—Sort Of," Daily Kos, August 5, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89870&id=22407-3416311-37IjRtx&t=9

EXCELLENT BOOK: Pawprints of Katrina

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, many animals had to fend for themselves because their owners lost them or were unable to care for them. In Pawprints of Katrina: Pets Saved and Lessons Learned, Cathy Scott documents her experience working with the Best Friends Animal Society triage center to rescue lost animals and reunite them with their owners. Over two hundred stories with accompanying photos describe dramatic and challenging rescue cases with details about the rescues, the examinations, treatment, and follow-up care by the selfless volunteers who worked to save beloved best friends.
This is a very MOVING, and heartwrenching book - about the struggle animals had for survival when people were FORCED to leave them behind as Hurricane Katrina struck. Fortunately, a new law passed now allows people to take their dogs and cats and other pets with them to shelters. A MUST READ- but keep kleenex handy.

TMJ and A Cheek Muscle Knot

I finally broke down and went to a specialist about my TMJ ("slipping jaw") issue. The left side of my face/jaw has been aching for weeks. The specialist (Dr. Leo Menendez in Maryland) was awesome. He did a lot of tests on the jaw and the muscle. He concluded that the jaw is being pulled out when I open my mouth wide from the left cheek muscle. He said the muscle on the left side of my face is almost twice the size of the muscle on the right side (likely because I chew more on that side) and it was one big knot! So, he prescribed muscle relaxers (which I can only take a night because they knock me out) and another medication (which makes me lightheaded- okay, no jokes here, please)... and told me to put warm compresses on the jaw every night (which I do). **I've noticed improvement** I also wear a mouth guard when I sleep (you get get a sports one for $1.00 at Target and it works better than some the dentist will make and charge you $300 for- BEEN THERE).
- I also went to my acupuncturist, and today she treated it. The area that was giving me the most discomfort was pain free after the session. Tonight, I only have a slight pull in the bottom part of the jaw. Hopefully, it stays there or goes away overnight. Acupuncture works!!

"Emma" the Puppy Nuzzled by Dolly the Weimaraner

Watching our friend Amy's puppy Emma has really been a pleasure. When I work at home 3 days a week, Amy drops Emma off (and spoils me with Dunkin' Donuts coffee), and our dogs Dolly (the Weimaraner) and Franklin (the Dachshund) get the pleasure of little Emma's company. Here's a picture I took at lunchtime this week, of Dolly nuzzling Emma outside in the back yard. Priceless!

Doggy Guest!

Our friend Amy adopted an adorable little dog that's a Yorkie mix, and she named her "Emma." Because I work at home 3 days a week, and Emma is just a pup, Amy brings her over on the way to work, and Dolly, Franklin and I watch her during the day. She's such a pleasure to have, and doesn't bark, wet the floor or cause trouble, just sits there acting adorable. Here's a photo of Emma with Dolly (the Weimaraner) and Franklin (the dachshund). One of the fun things we all enjoy is an early morning walk with Amy and Emma before the day gets started.

Fun Weekend with Darold

Our friend Darold lived with us for about 3 months last winter when he moved from FL to DC for a new job. In February he found an apartment in northern Virginia, and for those who live in the Washington, DC metro area, its like living very far away (because of traffic). So, this weekend, he came up and stayed over- making for a weekend of fun- and our dogs, Dolly and Franklin were so happy to see Uncle Darold! - We drove over the Bay Bridge in Annapolis and went shopping in the outlets on Maryland's eastern Shore (although traffic was HORRIBLE getting over the bridge). We watched a GREAT MOVIE called "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief."
- Sunday after breakfast we had a nice long 3 mile dog walk, did some more shopping, had a great lunch at our friend Mike B's Dad's restaurant in Annapolis called "Eggscellence" and sat outside in the backyard for a couple of hours enjoying the cloudy, cooler weather. Darold played rope toss with our Weimaraner, Dolly - her favorite game, while Franklin explored the garden. We ended the day with another nice dog walk. Here are some fun photos from our weekend.