October Photo Challenge Day 27: FUN EVENT
Posted: October 27, 2017 Filed under: Things I Like | Tags: #octoberphotochallenge, Apple Bobbing, Apples, Bobbing for Apples, Dog Treats, Dogs, Fun Event, Golden Retriever, Harper Lee, Healthy Dog Treats, October Photo Challenge, Pet Photography, Pets, Tallulah, Thek9harperlee 6 Comments
When my human mommy planned this FUN EVENT for our Friday morning, she had absolutely no idea just how fun it would be. Tallulah and I went bobbing for apples. This was so exciting that a single photo could not possibly portray it. So I present to you a series of photos depicting Tallulah’s excellent apple bobbing skills. Mommy says that if the American Kennel Club gave ribbons for apple bobbing, Rhythm’s Tallulah Bee for Harper Lee would be an AKC Apple Bobbing Champion.
A note for Harper Lee’s Mommy: I was so stunned by Harper Lee and Tallulah’s apple bobbing skills, not to mention their absolute joy at going after the apples again and again and then finally sitting down to devour their prey. And, by the way, apples have a number of health benefits. We’re all for good healthy fun at our house. If your dog hasn’t bobbed for apples yet, I highly recommend this experience. Hope your weekend is filled with fun events. Cheers!
Minty Fresh Breath Treats
Posted: August 15, 2017 Filed under: Things I Like | Tags: BONE Appetit, Dog Treats, Doggy Breath Mints, Dogs, Golden Retriever, Harper Lee, Healthy Dog Treats, Homemade Dog Treats, Pet Photography, Pets, Pinterest, Tallulah, Thek9harperlee, Treats 27 Comments
Someone in our family has dog breath. (I’m not naming names, but if you lean into your screen and sniff, I think you can figure it out on your own.) So my human mommy/blogging assistant/personal chef turned to our friends at Pinterest in search of a tasty remedy. She found quite a few recipes. Some were for frozen treats. They looked super yummy and perfect for summer. We’ll definitely try them another time.
But we wanted something we could share with our friends, so Mommy and I settled on DIY Doggy Breath Mints from SkinnyMs.com. The list of ingredients is simple:
- 2-1/2 cups of old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup of fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 cup of fresh mint finely chopped
- 1 large egg (substitute 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce for dogs with allergies to chicken products)
- 1/4 cup of water plus 1 teaspoon
- 3 tablespoons of coconut oil (olive oil may be substituted if you can’t find coconut oil)
While Tallulah and I watched, Mommy added the old-fashioned oats to the food processor and let the machine do its thing until the oats had the consistency of flour.
Then she combined the chopped parsley, chopped mint, egg, water, and coconut oil in a medium bowl and whisked them all together.
Under Tallulah’s watchful nose, Mommy poured the processed old-fashioned oats into a large bowl, made a well, added the whisked liquid ingredients into the well, and then blended with a spoon. (She added a bit of water to get the consistency she wanted.)
At this point, because I am the senior dog in our family, I did the quality-control taste-testing duties. I pronounced the treat dough perfectly perfect. I would have been totally happy diving into the raw dough, but apparently actually baking the treats is important to humans, so Mommy continued with the process.
She rolled the dough out to about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness and cut the treats into bone and heart shapes. (You could just use a knife to make little squares. Trust me, dogs don’t care.) Then she placed the hearts and bones onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet, popped the cookie sheet into the oven, which she had preheated to 325 F, and set the timer for 35 to 40 minutes. Tallulah and I decided that this would be a good time for naps.
Boy am I ever glad we woke up in time to taste these minty fresh breath treats as soon as they came out of the oven. They are yummmm-meeeeeee!
And they’re good for us, too. Here are some of the health benefits:
- Old-Fashioned Oats–Oats are high in protein, soluble fiber (the kind of fiber that keeps cholesterol low), and levels of iron, manganese, zinc, and B vitamins. They’re low in gluten and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Oats act as a digestive aid to calm the intestinal tract and they have anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties. They have a calming effect, so they’re a good addition to the diets of nervous dogs. Finally, oats strengthen the spleen, pancreas, bones, heart, and immune system.
- Parsley–In addition to fighting bad breath, parsley is an anti-inflammatory, which can benefit dogs with arthritis and cancer. It’s also a diuretic so it’s good for dogs with urinary issues. Parsley boosts kidney function, which in turn helps the heart, lungs, and other organs. Parsley also helps with GI issues because it strengthens intestinal muscles. One word of warning: Parsley should not be given to dogs during pregnancy because it stimulates the uterus.
- Mint–Mint can sooth upset stomachs and reduce gas. It also reduces nausea, so it’s good for travel sickness. And mint is a natural breath freshener.
- Egg–Eggs are a great source of protein. They help build muscle, strengthen hair, and repair tissue.
- Coconut Oil–Because coconut oil contains antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agents, it helps to prevent infection and disease and may even reduce the risk of cancer. It regulates and balances insulin (which can help to prevent or control diabetes), promotes normal thyroid function, and increases energy levels to help control and reduce weight. Coconut oil builds strong bones and helps decrease arthritis discomfort by reducing inflammation. It also helps to improve bad breath.
So here’s to good health and good breath. . . and really good treats. BONE appetit!
“Slobbr”ing Into the Weekend with Wellness
Posted: August 11, 2017 Filed under: Things I Like | Tags: #BlogPaws2017, BlogPaws, Dog Treats, Dogs, Golden Retriever, Harper Lee, Healthy Dog Treats, Pet Friendly, Pet Photography, Pets, Slobbr, Slobbr.com, Tallulah, Thek9harperlee, Treats, Wellness CORE Freeze-Dried Treats 25 Comments
When Tallulah and I traveled with our humans to BlogPaws 2017 a few months ago, we learned about a new app that connects dog lovers with dog-friendly places all over the United States. It’s called Slobbr, and we love the tagline: “Live Life With Your Dog.”
Slobbr allows you to enter a zip code and then find nearby dog-friendly spots. It’s been a little hot and humid unbearably miserable lately here in New Orleans, but I suspect Tallulah and I will be using Slobbr more when the temperatures start to cool . . . in about three months. We also think this would be a great app to use on road trips, and you know we love a road trip.
And here’s the best thing about Slobbr: Every time you use the app or your browser (at Slobbr.com) to check in at one of the suggested dog-friendly establishments, Slobbr will donate a half-cup of kibble to a pre-selected rescue or shelter. This month Wellness is doing the honors and the New Hampshire SPCA is the recipient of that goodness. Our BlogPaws 2017 swag bag just happened to include a bag of Wellness CORE freeze-dried beef treats.
You want to know what’s in these treats? Beef. Just beef. No grains. No artificial flavors. No preservatives. Just 100% freeze-dried beef. Now that’s slobber-worthy. So whether you’re checking out a few dog-friendly spots using the Slobbr app this weekend or enjoying some slobber-worthy treats (or doing both), Tallulah and I wish you good times and good cheer!
Do you have any big plans this weekend?
Hemp Is Hot for Dogs
Posted: July 12, 2017 Filed under: Things I Like | Tags: #BlogPaws2017, Amazon, BlogPaws, BlogPaws 2017, CBD, Dog Treats, Dogs, Golden Retriever, Harper Lee, Healthy Dog Treats, Hemp, Marijuana, Pet Photography, Pets, Tallulah, THC, Thek9harperlee, Treatibles, Treatibles Pumpkin Grain-Free Dog Chews, Treats, True Hemp Chews, True Leaf Medicine International Ltd., True Leaf Pet 21 Comments
When we unpacked our BlogPaws 2017 swag bags a few weeks ago, my human mommy noticed a couple of treats containing hemp. This made her curious (it just made me hungry), so she decided to do a little research. Turns out hemp is the hot new thing in pet care. Here’s what you need to know:
HEMP IS NOT MARIJUANA–Hemp and marijuana both come from the same plant–Cannabis sativa–and they both contain two major cannabinoids–THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). But the similarities end there. Marijuana contains higher levels of THC, the psychoactive chemical that causes a “high.” Hemp contains a higher level of CBD, which reduces the psychoactive effects of THC. So, if you humans were thinking about eating hemp dog treats to get a little buzz, forget about it. Hemp treats won’t get your pets high and they won’t get you high either.
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF HEMP?–It’s important to note that peer-reviewed research is lacking, so information about the benefits of hemp for dogs is largely anecdotal. That said, the following anecdotal benefits of hemp seed oil for dogs have been suggested:
- strengthens the immune system
- boosts skin and coat health while reducing flaking and shedding
- boosts energy and supports a healthy weight
- supports healthy organ and heart health
- supports healthy brain functions
- acts as an anti-inflammatory
- aids healthy growth and development
- produces positive effects on fertility/reproduction
- reduces anxiety
- lessens the associated side effects of chemotherapy
Enough of Mommy’s type of research, Tallulah and I were ready to do our own sort of science: the taste tests.
First we sampled the Treatibles CBD pumpkin grain-free chews. The ingredients list reads like something you’d find at the finest healthy human bakeries: hemp-derived phytocannabinoids (CBD, CBN, CBG), gluten-free oat flour, pumpkin, peanut butter, organic coconut oil, brown rice flour, apple sauce, organic coconut nectar, organic hemp seed oil, turmeric, vanilla, cinnamon, xanthan gum, and potato starch. Coconut oil is an antioxidant that is good for our coats and skin; pumpkin helps digestion; and peanut butter has high levels of protein. Plus, the treats are gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan. Here’s what the Treatibles website says about the source of the hemp the company uses in its chews:
The non-psychoactive cannabinoids used in our proprietary formula are sourced from hemp grown in Colorado. It is a full plant extract which contains terpenes and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as CBDA and CBDV. This extract contains no THC.
But best of all, they taste great! They come in two sizes: small-to-medium for dogs up to 50 pounds and large for dogs over 50 pounds. Tallulah and I tasted the small-to-medium Treatibles chews . . . so we could eat a few extras. The Treatibles website offers a store locator. A few specialty pet shops in my area carry the products. You can also use the site to purchase online (a bag of small-to-medium pumpkin chews–roughly 36 Treatibles–is $24; shipping for orders over $40 is free). By the way, Treatibles was established in 2013 and is based in California.
Next we tried True Leaf Pet’s True Hemp chews in the health support for dogs formula. (Seriously, this photo part is so tedious. When does the tasting start?) These treats contain ground hemp seed, hemp oil, DHA (an Omega 3 source derived from whole-cell algae that supports cognitive health), polyphenols and pomegranate, salmon, buckwheat flour, yellow pea flour, sunflower seed oil, blackstrap molasses, vegetable glycerin, natural fish flavor, citric acid, and mixed tocopherols. The back of the bag lists the following benefits of hemp:
- one of nature’s most balanced and richest sources of fatty acids
- contains Omega 6 and Omega 3 in an optimal 3:1 ratio
- one of the few plants containing GLA (gamma linolenic acid, known to fight cancer, reduce joint pain, and improve skin and coat)
- naturally supports the body’s response to inflammation
- contains tocopherols, a natural antioxidant
I don’t know about the back of that bag, but Tallulah and I can certainly attest to the tasty nature of what’s inside the bag. The True Leaf pet website offers a store locator option. Sadly, there are no retailers near my house, but my sleuthing human mommy did find their hip-and-joint and calming chews on Amazon for less than $19. You can also order directly from the website. The Canadian company is a division of True Leaf Medicine International Ltd., which was established in 2013 for humans. True Leaf Pet was started in 2015 and here’s what the website says about the source of its hemp:
The hemp used in our proprietary formula is grown in Ontario, Canada. This extract contains no THC and in non-psychoactive.
Tallulah and I are pretty excited about the new treats we’ve discovered, and our human mommy is equally excited to have discovered the health benefits of hemp. If you’d like to read more, she suggests the following sources:
- FAQ: What You Need to Know About Hemp and Dogs from Veterinary Practice News
- The Benefits of Hemp See Oil for Dogs! from K9 Instinct
- Hemp for Dogs: Should You Use It? from Dogs Naturally
- Benefits of Hemp for Dogs from Keep the Tail Wagging
A Couple of Sparklers for Your Fourth
Posted: July 4, 2017 Filed under: Things I Like | Tags: Blueberry Ice Dog Treats, Dog Treats, Dogs, Fourth of July, Frozen Strawberry and Yogurt Dog Treats, Golden Retriever, Harper Lee, Healthy Dog Treats, Homemade Dog Treats, Independence Day, Pet Photography, Pets, Tallulah, Thek9harperlee, Treats 36 Comments
Happy Independence Day! My little sister, Tallulah Bee, and I have had a pretty great day so far . . . except of course for having to put on silly outfits and have our pictures taken. That part was slightly torturous.
But we cooperated because we got a couple of our favorite red, white, and blue treats. Mommy froze whole blueberries in our star-shaped ice-cube tray and then dumped the frozen treats into our outside water bowl. I was a dainty drinker.
Tallulah, as usual, lacked restraint . . . but definitely had a good time.
Next we headed inside for some frozen yogurt and crushed strawberry bone-shaped delights. After a challenging-but-successful “Leave it!” command, Tallulah and I dove in like a couple of hotdog-eating contestants at Coney Island.
Sending you sweet kisses and best wishes for a safe and happy Fourth of July!
Pawing It Forward
Posted: June 20, 2017 Filed under: Places I Like, Things I Like | Tags: #BlogPaws2017, #MyNakedDog, Animal Rescue, Animal Rescue New Orleans, Animal Shelter, ARNO, Blogging, BlogPaws, BlogPaws 2017, Dog Food, Dog Treats, Dogs, Golden Retriever, Harper Lee, Healthy Dog Treats, New Orleans, NOLA, Pet Photography, Pets, PetSmart, Tallulah, The Naked Dog, Thek9harperlee 29 Comments
Remember when I told you about all the stuff that filled our chariot on the road to BlogPaws 2017? Well, on the way home, we had to find a little additional room for these huge duffle bags overflowing with all kinds of fabulous swag. Everyone attending the BlogPaws conference received a swag bag of goodies specifically selected for dogs, cats, or both. Because both of my humans were officially registered, Tallulah and I came home with two bags . . . filled with dog items, of course.
Those two bags sat on top of the dryer in our laundry room for way too long several weeks, until Mommy finally let us dig in.
Wow, the haul was somewhat overwhelming. We’ve set aside a few things that we think you might like to know about. Look for more on that in the next couple of months . . .
. . . but Mommy and I delivered most of the items to our friends at Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO). ARNO is a nonprofit, grassroots, volunteer organization founded after Hurricane Katrina. ARNO operates a no-kill triage shelter and has found homes for more than 8,300 companion animals. We can’t think of a better place to paw the BlogPaws love forward.
We also delivered a bag of super yummy and healthy food from The Naked Dog. Here’s a little background info from The Naked Dog website:
In 2014, Marco and Bere Giannini started The Naked Dog with the mission of helping pet parents access only the healthiest products for their pets. Within the next three years, The Naked Dog family grew to 11 retail locations in Southern California and built a group of pet parents dedicated to their grain-free, gluten-free in-house pet food and treat brand, Naked. In 2017, The Naked Dog Box was founded to help broaden the reach of this healthy mission, allowing pet parents across the nation to get Naked with its bi-monthly pet food subscription service. Marco, Bere, and the whole Naked Dog family are proud to have kept their Naked Promise: higher quality pet food and fair prices, available to all.
My friend Emma from My GBGV Life wrote an excellent review of The Naked Dog food and subscription service. I hope you’ll click here to read more. As you can see from the picture above, Tallulah was a little unsure about parting with The Naked Dog food, but I explained to her that the dogs at ARNO would really, really appreciate the donation. I think she understood.
BlogPaws is all about sharing the love and improving the lives of animals. I’m so happy that I could paw it forward by delivering treats, toys, and food to the dogs at Animal Rescue New Orleans. Even with my new shades, I see a bright and shiny future for my shelter friends.
Dinner and a Movie
Posted: June 9, 2017 Filed under: Dogs I Like, People I Like, Things I Like | Tags: #MeganLeavey, Blogging, BlogPaws, BlolgPaws 2017, BONE Appetit, Dog Treats, Dogs, Golden Retriever, Healthy Dog Treats, K9s For Warriors, Megan Leavey, Merrick Pet Care, Pet Photography, Pets, Thek9harperlee 14 Comments
Woo hoo! It’s Friday! I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty thrilled to see the weekend. Do you have plans yet? Might I suggest dinner and a movie? There’s a great new film called Megan Leavey opening this weekend. I saw a preview while I was at BlogPaws 2017, and it’s fabulous.
Megan Leavey is the true story of a Marine and her dog, Rex. Here’s a little more information from the studio:
MEGAN LEAVEY is based on the true life story of a young marine corporal (Kate Mara) whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq. When she is assigned to clean up the K9 unit after a disciplinary hearing, Leavey identifies with a particularly aggressive dog, Rex, and is given the chance to train him. Over the course of their service, Megan and Rex completed more than 100 missions until an IED explosion injures them, putting their fate in jeopardy.
You can click here to see a trailer for the film. It stars a really talented dog in the role of Rex . . . and some pretty noteworthy humans, too. Plus, it’s gotten some really great reviews.
Merrick Pet Care, a leader in natural and organic pet food, sponsored the movie and recently announced the launch of Merrick Backcountry Hero’s Banquet recipes, a new lineup of natural dog food and treats to raise awareness for K9s For Warriors’ work pairing service dogs with military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disability (PTSD). (By the way, June is PTSD Awareness Month.) So grab some “pawp corn,” settle into that nice comfortable theatre seat to watch Rex star in the Megan Leavey movie, and purchase a little Merrick Backcountry Hero’s Banquet dinner to help support the work of K9s For Warriors. Sounds like a perfect weekend plan to me. Cheers!
Play Ball!
Posted: April 24, 2017 Filed under: Places I Like, Things I Like | Tags: #AtoZChallenge, BONE Appetit, Chicago Cubs, Dog Treats, Dogs, Harper Lee, Healthy Dog Treats, Homemade Dog Treats, Iowa Cubs, Mardi Gras, Miami Marlins, New Orleans, New Orleans Baby Cakes, New Orleans Zephyrs, NOLA, Pet Friendly, Pet Photography, Pets, Tallulah, The Shrine on Airline, Thek9harperlee, Zephyr Field 27 Comments
Last Thursday, my little sister and I joined our humans at the Shrine on Airline to watch the New Orleans Baby Cakes minor-league baseball team take on the Iowa Cubs, an affiliate of the World Series champion Chicago Cubs. The Baby Cakes host Dog Day at each of their Thursday-evening games. Every Thursday also happens to be Thirsty Thursday with $2 12-ounce domestic drafts, which comes in very handy for all the humans who are stressed about ensuring that their four-legged family members behave themselves for nine innings.
Technically, this wasn’t my first time at the ballpark. I concluded last year’s A to Z Challenge with a trip to Zephyr Field, as it was known them, but I only got to see the outside that day. (You can click here to read that post.) And back then, our Triple A Miami Marlins affiliate team was called the Zephyrs. Then they had a big contest to change the name and, in a bit of a controversial move, they became the Baby Cakes. It’s a play on our Mardi Gras tradition of placing a little plastic baby in our king cakes, but it’s a little odd because no one ever says “baby cakes” around here. Nevertheless, the new name has grown on us and the logo is pretty fabulous, so we’ll give our hometown team a pass. But I digress. Back to the game.
Humans and their canines have the option of enjoying the game from two different locations. Most of us sat beyond the outfield in an area of the ballpark called the levee. The nice people with the Baby Cakes set up water bowls and kiddy pools for the pups to enjoy, and there’s plenty of room to stretch your legs . . . all four of them.
Dogs are also invited to join their humans in certain sections of the stands along the first base side of the ballpark. We decided that Tallulah probably wasn’t quite ready for that level of sophistication, but we did stop by to enjoy the view.
And speaking of Tallulah, her mind tended to wander during the game. She was far more interested in the dogs around us and the hotdogs and Cracker Jacks their humans were enjoying than she was in the action on the diamond.
My big round eyes, on the other hand, were glued to the game . . .
. . . except for when I dosed off briefly. Turns out baseball is pretty conducive to napping.
My humans, Tallulah, and I say cheers to the Baby Cakes. We had a fantastic time and our hometown team won the evening we were there. We definitely plan on attending another Thursday evening Dog Day game this season. Here’s hoping we catch a homerun ball or at least have a little taste of a hot dog on our next visit.
Have you ever gotten to join your humans at a sporting event in your hometown?
BONE Appetit: Country Breakfast Two Ways
Posted: June 21, 2016 Filed under: Things I Like | Tags: BONE Appetit, Bubba Rose Biscuit Company, Dog Treats, Dogs, Golden Retriever, Harper Lee, Healthy Dog Treats, Homemade Dog Treats, Pet Photography, Pets, Tallulah, Thek9harperlee, Treats 15 Comments
Audubon Park Willow Tree // May 30, 2016
My sister and I are city girls. We love our visits to New Orleans’ Audubon Park, but most of our outdoor adventures involve leash walks along busy urban streets and evenings at boisterous dog-friendly establishments. So we were both super excited when our humans told us that we would all be spending a weekend in the country. They said the location would be a big surprise, but the preparations for our getaway would start in the kitchen . . . which I think is the all-time best place to start preparing.
Mornings in the country need to begin with a hearty breakfast–for dogs and humans–and any hearty country breakfast needs to include three key ingredients: eggs, bacon, and cheese. My human mommy turned to The Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook from the Bubba Rose Biscuit Company, and that’s where she found a quick and easy breakfast treat recipe with just six simple ingredients: oat flour, rice flour, shredded cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, eggs, and water. You’ll notice from the photo above that the bacon we used was 100% natural with no preservatives. My human mommy must admit that she has never ever made this healthy choice when preparing bacon for humans. But the people from Bubba Rose suggested it for pups and people and, Mommy said, nothing is too good for Miss Harper Lee and Tallulah Bee.
Mommy combined all the ingredients . . .
. . . while Tallulah and I watched. I was well-behaved and supervised from a respectable distance. Tallulah was a little more . . . shall we say . . . eager.
We let Mommy roll the dough and cut the treats into pretty flower shapes. Tallulah and I would have helped with this step, but our lack of opposable thumbs and need for a little mid-morning doggy nap prevented our assistance.
Tallulah and I had a tiny taste test, and let me tell you that we definitely approve of these bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast treats. Mommy quickly stored them in an air-tight container and told us that we’d get to enjoy more on our country getaway. The anticipation nearly did us in.
And for everyone who thinks that my human mommy only makes doggy treats when she’s in the kitchen, I present to you a human breakfast treat that she made for our country weekend: Breakfast Bake Recipe. She used the leftover ingredients from the dog treats she made. Wait a minute: Don’t the dogs usually get the leftovers? Not at our house. 😉
Here’s the human breakfast recipe:
4-1/2 cups seasoned croutons (about 10 ounce)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
8 eggs
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
- Sprinkle the croutons, cheese, onion, peppers and mushrooms into two greased 8-inch square baking dishes. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, mustard and pepper. Slowly pour over vegetable and sprinkle with bacon.
- Cover and freeze one casserole for up to three months. Bake the second casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
- To use frozen casserole: Completely thaw in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Yield: 2 casseroles (6 to 8 servings each)
So you’ll just have to wait to see the human breakfast casserole finished product . . . just like Tallulah and I had to wait until we got to the country to enjoy the rest of our doggy breakfast treats. Any ideas where we went for our getaway?
HL Does NOLA from A to Z: S is for STREETCARS & SISTERS
Posted: April 22, 2016 Filed under: Dogs I Like, Places I Like, Things I Like | Tags: #AtoZChallenge, Birthday, Blogging, BONE Appetit, Dog Treats, Dogs, Harper Lee, Healthy Dog Treats, Homemade Dog Treats, New Orleans, New Orleans Streetcar, NOLA, Pet Photography, Pets, St. Charles Avenue Streetcar, Streetcar, Tallulah, Thek9harperlee, Treats 10 Comments
S is for streetcars and sisters. Today our tour of New Orleans takes a little detour. This is my sister Tallulah Bee’s first birthday. Woo hoo! So we’re throwing a NOLA-sized party . . . and in a city that’s known for partying, that’s a pretty big party. The pictures above were taken when Tallulah was about four months old. We were spending the afternoon in the Warehouse District (which is also called the Arts District) and Tallulah decided that she wanted to take a streetcar ride. Shhhh . . . don’t tell her that it’s just a bench made to look like the real thing. Streetcars in New Orleans date back to the 1830s, and at one time they ran from one end of the city to the other. (You can read more about New Orleans streetcar history by clicking here.) But buses began to overtake the streetcars in the 1960s and–with the exception of the St. Charles Avenue streetcar–the lines all but disappeared. Today the New Orleans streetcar is having a renaissance. There are several lines operating throughout New Orleans, with more lines being added. The streetcar (which is run by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority) is a great way to see New Orleans. You can buy a pass–called a Jazzy Pass–that allows you to take multiple trips on the streetcars (and buses) over a set number of days. Check out the streetcar lines and schedules here and click here for more information about Jazzy Passes.
Now back to my sister, Tallulah Bee. She looks like she’s ready to get this birthday party started, doesn’t she. (Or maybe she looks like she’s already been partying a little too much. It’s hard to tell.)
Because no birthday party is complete without a birthday cake, we joined our human mommy in the kitchen to do a little baking while our human daddy served as the official party photographer. As you can see, Tallulah is a little rule breaker. I know that feet are not allowed on the countertops, but sometimes she “forgets” this rule. We both know that licking the beaters is the best part of baking, and I will be the first to admit that Tallulah showed great restraint as Mommy decorated the cake.
And here’s the final product. Trust me, it didn’t look like this for very long. If you’re interested in the recipe for this dog-friendly cake (made with banana and peanut butter . . . yum!) and the dog-friendly icing, click here. I promise you it will be a hit!
So happy, happy first birthday sweet Tallulah Bee. You’re a little rule breaker, and sometimes you’re a whole lot of puppy and a really huge pest, but you’re a precious little girl with a heart of pure Golden love. We’re so happy that you’re a part of our family . . . and we wish for many, many, many more happy years to come. Love you, Tallulah Bee!
This post is part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Please click here for a link to the challenge homepage and a list of the bloggers who are participating.
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