Camp Nita Nee

Last weekend Mom and I attended the Nita Nee Kennel Club Dog Show in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania -- about 9 miles south of State College -- home of JoPa's Nittany Lions Football team. GO LIONS!

Peanut chilling before entering the ring

My girlfriend Peanut, Amity Hall's Ticket to Vegas, was showing in the conformation ring so we went to cheer her on and hang out with other boxer enthusiasts. While I am a tad bit biased, I do feel that she was robbed in the ring. However, Daisy, another boxer who we were hanging with, did finish her championship which was cause to celebrate.

New Champion Raypat's First Love ~ "Daisy"

Never one to disappoint, Peanut was wearing an especially aromatic fragrance from her latest line -- Positively Pleasing Perfumes by Peanut.

Peanut's "Seasonal Clock" is ticking

Completely overcome by the endorphins, she had me wrapped around her little cute stub from the minute I laid eyes on her. So like Romeo and Juliet, we made plans to rendezvous secretly after our moms had passed out from doing lemon shooters.

Newman and Peanut plan their rendezvous

Unfortunately, instead of getting stupid, they just sat around and chewed the fat like usual so we didn't really have an opportunity to escape. Even if we had planned a midnight get-a-way, it would have probably backfired since Auntie Beth came out at 3 a.m. asking if we wanted to abandon our perfectly anchored Coleman tent to sleep in her camper because a severe storm was stirring. While it was very thoughtful of Aunt Beth to be concerned with our safety, I think she was really testing my emotional strength -- knowing that I would not be able to keep my paws off Peanut under cover of darkness in the camper.

Needless to say, Mom and I weathered the storm just perfectly in our tent. Unscathed, we bid a fond farewell to Centre Hall Grange Fairground on Saturday afternoon.

Newman says goodbye to Centre Hall

Birthday Bullies

Today my little bully sister Thelma Lou turned 1 year old.While Roger and I have a more fun-filled event planned for July 30, we did, of course, have a modest family celebration with bone-shaped pumpkin cupcakes. 

  

Bully's First Birthday

Thelma Lou gives the pumpkin cupcake two paws up!

Roger and I pretend to enjoy the party!

Mom and Dad also allowed her to open one present which was an officially licensed collegiate Georgia Bulldogs jersey. Can I hear you say, "Goooo Dawgs. Sic 'em. Woof! Woof! Woof!

And, instead of Pin the Tail on the Bullies, we played Bobbin' for RedBarn. As this video illustrates, Roger is a natural.

Thelma Lou shares her birthday with several other celebrities, including:

• 2009 - Ammo Morris, born in Severna Park, MD, bulldog and comedian
• 2009 - Bella Paycana, born in Severna Park, MD, bulldog and comedian
• 2009 - Floyd Pecci, born in Severna Park, MD, bulldog and comedian
• 1991 - Cierra Nicole Shope, born in Carlisle, PA, niece to Thelma Lou and student, Kennesaw State University
• 1954 - Ricky Skaggs, born in Cordell, Kentucky, country singer
• 1921 - John Glenn, born in Cambridge, Ohio, astronaut 
• 1918 - Nelson Mandela, born in South Africa, President of South Africa
• 1913 - Red Skelton, born in Vincennes, Indiana, comedian, Red Skelton Show

Ammo demands real cake

Bella questions where her real presents are

Floyd questions where his cake is

While we're on the subject of trivia, do you know what 1960s American sitcom had characters named Floyd and Thelma Lou in its cast? 

Floyd Lawson or "Floyd the Barber," as he was commonly known, was a slow-paced, somewhat absent-minded barber in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina. 

Thelma Lou is the girlfriend of Mayberry's Deputy Sheriff. Besides her sweet-natured, caring personality, little else is known about Thelma Lou, including her last name and occupation.

What was the name of the sitcom? And who is Thelma Lou's boyfriend? Submit your answers in the comments section below. We always love to hear from our readers.

As this heart-warming photo depicts, Thelma Lou is certainly a very fitting name for my little sister who looked after all her siblings while they were sleeping -- even if it was because she was the last little piggy to leave the trough.

Oh Dear!

While out for our morning constitutional, Mom managed to catch a "dear" friend on film. While not the best example of her photography skills, the color of the doe's coat reminded Mom so much of Beulah Ruth that she wanted me to share these photos.

I decided to take my morning dump on the south forty acres and was not within viewing range. Thelma saw it, but she's such a good girl that she sat by Mom's side like she always does. Roger was buried in about two feet of brush − dicking around as usual − and couldn't see the lovely creature 15 feet in front of him.

Roger scopes out the perfect spot

And finds it

Mission completed with a right front-left rear paw dismount

Happy Independence Day!

For some dogs Fourth of July fireworks are a major source of anxiety and fear. To help keep your furry, four-legged friends safe, I've put together a list of tips that I picked up from various sources along the way.

• Do not take your pet to fireworks displays.
• Do not leave your pet in the car. With only hot air to breathe inside a car, your pet can suffer serious health effects—even death—in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows do not provide sufficient air.
• Keep your pets indoors at home in a sheltered, quiet area. Some animals can become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you've removed any items that your pet could destroy or that would be harmful to your pet if chewed. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep him company.
• If you know that your pet is seriously distressed by loud noises like thunder, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.
• Never leave pets outside unattended, even in a fenced yard or on a tether. In their fear, pets who normally wouldn't leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death.
• Make sure your pets are wearing identification tags so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly. Animals found running at-large should be taken to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their owners.

Newman's Aunt Kandi and Phoebe

A Big Thanks!

Katandy's Triple Threat

I just want to thank all my faithful fans for your loyal support! Many of you know that my mom works in the Marketing and Communications Department at Penn State Dickinson School of Law promoting the image of the Law School. While sometimes I think that she shouldn't bring her work home (unless, of course, she's on the clock), I am happy to report that with her ever-evolving marketing skills my blog recently reached a milestone in its relatively short history. Since its inception in March 1998, Newman's Notes has had visitors from all 50 states and 66 countries from around the world. Paws-i-tive-ly incredible!

Thank you Roger and Thelma for giving me endless topics on which to write.Thank you M&D for your dedicated efforts in helping me spread my message to the entire world. Thank you Google Analytics for the free software that allows me to track my hits. And, thank you Fans for helping spreading the word!

As you know, I am a quite the busy Boxer. With all my philanthropic, Dog Scout, and Potomac Boxer Club activities, finding time to blog can be a real challenge. But your support − through comments and encouragement − is what keeps me writing. Keep 'em coming.

Happy Campers

Well Mom and I recently went on our overnight camping trip with our Dog Scout Troop. I am happy to report that I passed the test for my badge with flying colors. In order to earn the badge, I had to remain under control while Mom pitched our tent, helped build the fire, and engaged in other activities for which I was not needed (like drinking wine!). I also was responsible for carrying the following twelve items in my own backpack:

• Bowl
• Water
• Extra Collar
• Extra Leash
• Three Cleanup Bags (at least)
• Flashlight
• First-Aid Kit
• Matches
• Identification (for my human handler)
• Compass
• Knife
• Signaling Device (whistle or mirror)

Mom was required to understand the principal of outdoorsmanship, leaving nothing behind by footprints and taking nothing but photographs of the wonderful flora and fauna of the forest. She also had to demonstrate how to start a fire with one match, knowing the differences between tinder, kindling, and fuel and where to find these items. 

Armani's Mom demonstrates her superb fire-starting skills

Another requirement for me to earn the badge was that Mom had to demonstrate cooking over a fire. The Troop chose pancakes as the meal to prepare. Freshly picked wild huckleberries provided a pleasant surprise to the otherwise so-so flap jacks.    

Breakfast -- Pancakes with a side of RedBarn

Speaking of pancakes, my little sister does an incredible imitation of a pancake. In case you aren't familiar with the term, it means to spread oneself out on a flat surface (often times a bed or couch) doing absolutely nothing. I believe the pancake is a distant relative to the couch potato.  

Thelma Lou's pancake imitation