Woofstock

Roger, Thelma Lou and I had a fun day at Woofstock today in Harrisburg, PA. We saw some fellow Dog Scouts and hundreds of other dogs. Excited for the beginning of yet another day, Thelma Lou took a literal "header" yesterday morning going down the steps in anticipation of breakfast and injured herself. So we borrowed Aunt Noelle's cart so that she could be part of the action. Dad paraded her the entire way across Market Street Bridge and then right down the center of the Woofstock crowd. She felt like the little princess that she is. Muchas gracias, Tia Noelle!

Newman takes a break to pause for a photo beside the Bully Train

We also hooked up with our seamstress Stephanie of PuppyWearOnline to get a few alterations made to Thelma Lou's costume that she will be wearing next weekend at Potomac Boxer Club's Fun in the Fall Day on Sunday, October 7 at Pohick Regional Bay Park (see details below). If you're in the area, come out and help us celebrate Fall and the Boxer breed. PBC will be hosting an AKC Sanctioned Boxer Puppy Match, costume contests, games, a picnic lunch, and more. Mom and I are also scheduled to give a presentation about Dog Scouts of America. Stop by and join in the fun!

Sounds like fun in Currituck

Taking a break overlooking the Currituck Sound

Mom, Roger, Pappy John, Jasper and I took a lovely hike through the Currituck Sound today. It was a very, nice and leisurely jaunt until we reached the end of the boardwalk where we were able to romp in the stinky swamp mud. That was exceptionally fun for Jasper, Roger and me. Mom and Pappy John didn't find the walk so enjoyable after taking in the smell that followed when we used our four wheel drive paws to stir up the muck. I really hope that we get to take that hike again tomorrow.

Chilling

Pappy John and Jasper "paws" for a break, too

Ghost of Marilyn Monroe Caught on Film

You must be very, very quiet when ghost hunting

Since her mysterious death, the ghost of Marilyn Monroe is known to haunt various Hollywood locations. The iconic actress, singer, and model led a troubled existence, even before fame entered her path. More than one instance of Monroe's ghost has been documented. Her untimely death on August 4, 1962 was surrounded by and scandal when she was discovered naked in her bed - an open bottle of pills at her side.  To this day, the ghost of Marilyn Monroe poses questions as to why she still roams her stomping grounds of Hollywood and other popular vacation spots like the OBX of North Carolina. 

I think I spotted Marilyn Monroe's Ghost 

I was fortunate enough to catch a siting of her ghost while hiking over the Currituck Sound and taking in the magnificent view of the Currituck Lighthouse. Being the PhoDographer that I am, thankfully, I had my Nikon strapped around my neck. 

Ghost of Marilyn Monroe in the OBX caught on film

As well as a nice shot of the Currituck Lighthouse

Happy Birthday to me!

Again I find myself apologizing for slacking in my blog posts. I am going to try to make an effort to set aside 5 or 10 minutes a day to keep my faithful followers apprised of my activities. Make no bones about it, I have been a busy boxer this summer and love every minute of it. Basically, I am on my fourth vacation since Memorial Day. We kicked off the summer with a week in the OBX with the rest of the Knowlton Klan.

Then in July, Mom and I went camping with Pappy John and Jasper at Stony Creek Campground in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. We had a blast hiking some seriously steep trails and wallowing in a local water hole. Since I'm not a swimmer like Jasper Phelps, I really didn't do much more than wade but it was still fun.
Here are a few pictures of our camping trip.

In August Mom and I went to our first ever Blue Ridge Dog Scout Mini Camp which was organized by Carlisle Troop 161. What a blast! I spent almost a week with the founder of of Dog Scouts of America, Lonnie Olson and her boxer mix, Kozi, who taught me how to paint earning me my Art of Shaping badge. I'm no Picaso but Mom thinks that I really have potential. I entitled this work of art "Wipe out at the Daytona 500." If you're interested in purchasing a copy, just shoot me an e-mail.

"Wipe Out" by Newman Knowlton

I also earned five other merit badges -- CPR, First Aid, Backpacking, Overnight Camping, Dog Care and Maintenance. If you are interested in learning more about Dog Scouts and the requirements for earning badges, etc., I encourage you to visit the DSA website which houses a host of free, educational information on getting involved with the organization, responsible dog ownership, training videos and guides, and much more. Here is just a brief album of some of the activities that took place at Mini Camp. Enjoy!

And as tradition has it, we say goodbye to summer and celebrate my birthday with two weeks in the OBX. In addition to my birthday, today was also Grandparents Day. So Happy G-Day to all you grandparents out there. While I'm on the topic of holidays, I love presents just like anyone else, but I do not care for the brown, fly-ridden ones left behind by other K-9s and their irresponsible owners here the past two weeks. While I have already accumulated the requisite 50 stray piles of poo to earn my Clean Up America I Merit Badge, Thelma Lou and Roger have really put a dent in their logs over the past week and a half. 

My 5th Birthday Celebration

You know the old saying, "The early bird catches the worm," well tomorrow morning this early bird is going to catch the turd -- meaning that I plan to get out early and patrol the neighborhood looking for those who neglect to clean up after their four-legged friends. It saddens me to say, that this is one of the worst years in my history of visiting the OBX that I have spotted and cleaned up so many stray piles of poo.

Photos of vacation in the OBX to be posted later this week. I promise.