November 2006

Hello friends & fans –

Well, it's been a month of fun - I had the absolute BEST costume for Halloween this year (check out the photos in the Costume Contest article below - along with the winners!).  But it's also been a month of sadness in the house.  As you know, there are other critters that share my home - a cat Isabella and two cockatiels, Bernard and Rebecca.  They've been around since before me.  Tracy told me the birds are 13 years old!  Well, Becca's been very sick for 3 months.  She's been taking multiple medicines every day.  She's such a sweetie, but it just got to be too much and this past week Tracy had us say goodbye and then she took her to the doctor for the last time.  It's very sad to have an absence like this in your household, even if you never got to play with her.  I really feel sad for Bernard.  He really loved Becca and she's been his companion his whole life.  Now he's by himself in his cage.  At least he shares the kitchen with Wes and me during the daytime, but I can tell he's lonely.  Tracy said he's doing pretty good.  She's letting him spend extra time on top of the cage (his favorite place) and John is whistling with him a bunch, which he really likes.  It's been a very good reminder to me to appreciate those I love - even my brother Wes.  There are so many animals that bring such joy to my life, I want to be sure I make the most of every day with them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  -Bianca

 

 

 

And the Winners Are.....

 

We had some great entries for my 3rd Annual Halloween Costume Contest.  I love Halloween - it's so much fun to dress up and pretend you're someone else!  We didn't get very many entries this year, but the ones we got were pretty great.  A big THANK YOU to all participants.  And to the two GRAND PRIZE WINNERS (yes, there are two - we had a tie!), well your Petsmart gift card is in the mail - enjoy!!! 

 

The judges were: my cousin Maddie, my brother Wes and my step-sister Muffin.  They had a tough time deciding, but after all the votes were tallied, two winners remained.....

 

Big congrats to.... 

Ernie the Lifeguard    AND    Dandee the Pumpkin

    

If I were drowning, I would feel very safe having Ernie bound in the waves after me.  And I know Dandee wasn't loving being a pumpkin (she thought the outfit made her look fat - which I'm sorry to say it does!), but she really is a cute pumpkin!

 

Other winners in my book are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breezy's ready to go fishing!

I love the hat - it has room for her cute ears!!

 

 

 

 

Well, Murphy's first Halloween is a handsome one!

Look how cute a bumble bee can be!

 

Check out Murray's little sister MacKenzie.

He always told me she was a little WITCH!

(btw- that's not true!)

 

 

Cool dude Murray is a party-ready Caribbean boy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Riccelli labs are as funloving as ever!!!

Bella is ChilePepper,DB is HotDog and Shadow is a party girl!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Poor Cayman (right), just really isn't enjoying the angel wings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were also some really great pet costumes getting sent around the internet this year.  One of my favorites had the 31 finalists from the Petsmart contest.  And can you believe that one of them is a local dog!!!  Yes, fireman Abby the Lab was one of the Petsmart winners!!!  My assistant Tracy works with Abby's assistant, Kristin.  How cool to have a celeb in my newsletter!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I mentioned, Wes and I got to choose our own costumes this year!!  Here they are:

 

Wes wanted to be something fierce, so he was an alligator!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my dreams is to be a ballerina (some of you have seen how I like to pirouette).  Here I am showing off my pretty tutu. 

 

 

 

A great big thank you to everyone that entered the contest this year.  You guys were awesome!!!

 

 

 

 

 

More Fun Camp Memories

In last month's issue, I shared photos and fun from our annual summer vacation at Dog Days of Wisconsin.  Well, I received a couple more photos from that fun-filled week that I really must share.... 

 

Here I am at Dock Diving class:

This is Wes' idea of a fun class - learning about the power of crystals (yeah, hard to believe we're related sometimes).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a lot of dogs enjoyed the lake in canoes and kayaks.  Here's great dane Fergus enjoying a canoe. 

 

And below, my poodle agility buddy Gypsy started every day on the lake too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to join us next year, you can check it out at www.dogcamp.com!  Just tell them Bianca sent you!

 

 

Be Careful What You Eat

(are you listening Grace?)

In last month's edition I had an article on the dangers of raisins.  Dogs can get very sick and die from eating something that seems so harmless.  Well, this hit pretty close to home just a couple weeks ago.  One of my agility buddies, Boxer Misty, came across some oatmeal cookies on the counter. Yes, we know we're supposed to leave things on the counter alone, but well, sometimes the temptation is just too much.  So she enjoyed a bunch of cookies, but she didn't realize they were Oatmeal/RAISIN cookies.  Thank heavens she's got a really smart mom, Melanie, who made her 'return' many of the cookies right away and then ran her to the emergency vet.  She was really sick and it was touch-and-go for a few days.  Well, she finally got to come home, but beware - it doesn't take many raisins to get really sick from them!!! 

 

 

 

Ab Fabs

Absolutely Fabulous Canine Accomplishments!

Please send your accomplishments to Bianca@2westies.com. 

 

 

 

 

MACH MacKenzie!!

 

 

 

I'm so thrilled my Cairn friend MacKenzie achieved her Master Agility Champion AKC title last month!  She's really done an awesome job running in her brother Murray's shadow (Murray is the 'perfect' agility dog and you know sometimes it's not so easy to live with 'perfect').  But the little gal has done her best and look what she's accomplished.  Big congratulations to MacKenzie and her dad Scott, who has had to learn that running sensitive girl agility dogs is very different than running tough boys!

 

 

 

Gypsy's New 'Sister' 

 

My agility buddy Gypsy has a new addition to her household.  She now gets to share her room with Indy, a cute little border collie.  Yes Indy is very cute (isn't that just the sweetest face!)  but I'm not so sure having a border collie for a roommate would be a good thing.  They are so full of energy.  I'm sure both Gypsy and Karen have their hands full for the next few months acclimating Indy to their home!