Nashville Here We Come!!

So, many of you follow our regular posts over on Instagram and Facebook but just in case we are down somewhere on someone’s RSS feed….I thought I’d post a quick update.

We will be in Nashville for BlogPaws 2015! It is my third year, and since it’s close enough to home…I’m dragging Daisy along for the ride. I really have loved networking and learning the last two years at BlogPaws. I almost decided to go to a conference for my job this weekend but in the end I couldn’t pass up a chance to catch up with my blogging friends.

Some things have changed since Daisy and I showed up for our first BlogPaws in Washington DC. I’ve pretty much quit blogging (although I maintain this site). I now really enjoy the Instagram/Facebook (and some Twitter) interactions. I just seem to be able to follow and keep up there more than I could here. Rather than one long post with multiple pictures explaining my week, Instagram allows me to snap a pic, caption the story and move on with my busy life. I think I’ll still get a lot of value from the conference.  Who knows, maybe it will spark new interest in long form blogging.

If nothing else, I’m going to look into getting some cards made that have my WHOLE coonhound family. Molly Brown doesn’t deserve to play third wheel in the family this year!

Right now I’m reading the linky list for the blogs that are going to the conference this year and I’m psyched! Can’t wait to see everyone again!

Daisy Looking for Squirrels

Whoo Hoo! Blogpaws 2014

I’m super excited to be at another year here at Blogpaws! For those of you who might not know it is a great conference dedicated to pet blogging. Last year I left here with a lot of information and motivation surrounding my blog. I have really been active on some of the Micro blogging sites and hope to learn how to build my audience there. Of course, I also want to get better at remembering my long form blog as well.

This year’s conference is in Las Vegas so the girls had to stay home. Don’t worry though-Grannie is busy spoiling them as you are reading this to be sure.

As I believe in providing some entertainment….here is some video from our winter from hell. Where we live normally has about 5 inches of snow in an entire winter season, this year..I have no idea how much it ended up being but there was one 24 hour period where we had 12 inches! Spring has been so nice.

Oh yeah, We Are Back!!!

So….it’s been a while if you only follow us on the blog. And if you only follow us here…get with the times! We are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…come on already!! Click one of those cool floaty buttons over there on the right —>

So much has went down in the last 6 months…I started this huge upgrade/overhaul of the website. Then…my motivation just vanished. I got busy; I got stressed; then this happened:

Out with the old….

IMG_5533

And in with the new….

IMG_5523

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, we move a lot. I can’t help myself! I like it!

Tonight’s post is going to be a quick one. I only plan on posting once a week on the blog on a general basis. Most a weekly catch up to let you see everything that has been going on with the girls. I will be mostly sticking with  ‘microblogging’ because I really like it. I will be using Facebook more to give you the cute little things that happen during the day. I want to build an audience over there because I like how I can post, and interact with fans. I want to use the blog for longer stories, product reviews, and giveaways.

And, in case you have been living under some dark, heavy, cold rock somewhere…this sweet girl is ALL MINE now!!

IMG_5366

I wasn’t looking for a clown to come live with me, but I’ve ended up with a sweet, silly girl in Molly Brown. I can’t wait to share her stories; you will laugh your ass off!

Saving What You Love

I’m not sure if my dogs saved my life, but they definitely gave me life. I now pass that on how I can by fostering and transporting coonhounds. This video was put together by one of the volunteers for The American Black and Tan Coonhound Rescue. It recognizes the breed that I have come to love that is so misunderstood in our country. Please share this video with your friends. Oh, and watch close-Grannie has a cameo with my girls!!

 

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Coondog Day 2013

Once again, the town of Saluda, NC put on a great Coondog Day Festival! In fact, this year was the 50th year for the festival. Now, this is like many small town festivals…they shut down “the” street in town, people set up booths, everyone shows up for the parade and a good time is had by all. I went with Grannie, Daisy and Molly! Last year there were record high temperatures. I am happy to say it was around 80 degrees, and other than a few on and off rain showers, the weather was much nicer this year!

I went to help with the American Black and Tan Coonhound Rescue booth-which is the rescue I am fostering Molly through. Sadly, there are many people who come to this festival with the view that a coonhound is only good for hunting. We are there to show that they can be happy members of the family.

The parade is quite an interesting experience. Basically-there is no registration. If you want to be in the parade just show up at call time and they will put you in line. A couple things to note-the folks with guns (the confederate reinactors, and they guy following the dog in the hospital bed) were actually firing blanks. Lets just say there were many freaked out dogs watching the parade. Heck, there were freaked out humans!

At one end of the festival is where all the breeders set up. They have a coonhound bench show, a treeing contest, and that night they go out for a coon hunt. This year, Daisy and I tried the treeing contest. Basically…they put a scented fake raccoon in a cage and run it up a pole under this tent. The dog is supposed to run up and tree the raccoon. I am proud to say….Daisy refused to bay. Why am I proud? Well, all these “hunting” dogs were going NUTS over this dead, taxidermied raccoon in a cage. Daisy? She walked in, took one sniff then looked at me like “Um, Mom, it’s already dead!! DUH!” Then proceeded to wag and be cute towards the crowd. She was not fooled! It was a fundraiser for one of their regular coonhound club members who has been diagnosed with cancer and doesn’t have health insurance. You had a five dollar entry fee and they “auctioned” off your dog-the one with the highest price won and got to split the pot of money.

Hope you enjoy some of the pictures. If you live in the area, we’d love to see you next year!