Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy 4th of July everyone!

We had a great day!  We all got up at 6am and were in Novato by 8:10am.  There was a little chill when we left the house, but it was already nice out by the time we got to Marion Field to setup for the picnic so the momma took her sweatshirt off right away.

The momma's cousin Danelle and her daughter Virginia joined us.  Turns out that she works with the momma's friend Sandee (Drac & Sophee's momma), so Sandee told her to join us!  How nice was that!?!?  They walked Teddi & I in the parade, but more about that later!

The momma was in charge of the raffle tables, so she brought all the stuff that we took up over to where they were setting up the tables and the dad set up an x-pen so they could have thier hands free to do other things.  Sasha did NOT like being in there.  I didn't either, but I didn't make a ruckus like she did!!  BOY the kid can bark!!  Mercy!

The dad did triple-duty today - he drove the shuttle van, bringing people and hounds from the park to the front of the parade route; then he drove the Pooped Pup Truck in case there were any hounds that couldn't make the 10 blocks and then he and Sandee took the hay back and dropped off the truck and trailer at Gloria's work so she can take it back tomorrow.  For those of you who don't know, Gloria is also called Madame President 'cuz she's the one that started GGBR nearly 100 years ago (OK, back in the 90's). 

We caught the other shuttle back to the front and we found our friends Bentley and Riley and Little B the wannabe.  Riley LOVES Teddi!  They've known each other forever, so it was great seeing them and their parents Sam and Lynda!  The momma helped find the Queen so they could make sure she'd fit in the carriage that Mike and Lina brought for them (it is SO cool!  Looks like a horse-less carriage, and it is, but it's pedal powered, not motorized.  Can't remember what the momma called it besides awesome!  She talked to a bunch of people she hadn't seen in a long time.  Lots of people wanted to know how things were going so there was a lot of talk about ME! :-)

When it was close to our turn in the parade, the momma got everyone's attention by talking super loud and telling them what we were going to do.  Madame President may need a bullhorn, but the momma sure doesn't!!  Good thing she's not shy!! :-) 

So in the parade, Danelle walked Teddi and Virginia walked me and the momma walked Sasha - or should I say that Sasha pulled the momma in the parade!!  She kept criss crossing back and forth across the street and back and I didn't miss a single move!  We may have been a tad behind them, but I never let them out of my sight!!  All in all it was a great parade!  The weather was perfect, maybe 85 or so, but nothing like last year (thank doG!)!  We all made it to the end without having to stop and rest along the way (although when we caught up to the group in front of us, we did find a shady spot and laid down for about 30 seconds, but we were back up and walking as soon as they started moving again!)  BTW - the momma made up for last Saturday by taking nearly a nickzillion pictures!  She said she'll get them downloaded as soon as she gets back to work 'cuz thats where she has the cable to link the camera to the computer.  Yes, she should have brought it home, but just remember that she IS blonde once in a while!! :-)

After the parade, the momma put Sasha and I in the x-pen and Danelle let Teddi do whatever she wanted (she kept saying well, she is the princess after all!  Sheesh!!).  Then the momma got to set up the raffle prizes.  They only had 29 containers to hold raffle tickets and a WHOLE lot more prizes, so the momma combined a bunch of things together to make the prizes AWESOME!! 

Everyone had hot dogs for lunch.  They are the nice big Schwartz Sausage dogs that the momma found thanks to Auntie Terri!  Mr. Schwartz has been helping the rescue out for the past couple of years by giving us the dogs at a discount 'cuz we're a 501-c-3!!  They are SO tasty - at least that's what I remember 'cuz none of us got a single bite this year!  That's what happens when the momma doesn't eat breakfast I guess.  At the end of the day, we were told that GGBR made $550 just from selling lunch!! Woo Hoo!!

Then Gloria passed out these neat doghouse clocks with basset hounds in them to some special people that help out the rescue a LOT!!  Unfortunately, that was when the momma was eating, so I didn't hear who they all were.  I know Nancy and Judy got one and so did the Madden's, but that's all I heard.

Then it was time for the raffle.  The momma won a couple of things, like the basset hound slippers that she wanted SO bad!  They will probably be too big for her square feet, but she doesn't care - she just wanted something to wear around the right now house since it doesn't have any carpets!  She also won a foo-foo smelling gift basket; the Nordic Naturals gift basket (its really a Nordic house, not a basket, but you get the idea); a box of Brite Bites Dental Chews (YUM!) and the weirdest thing of all, a bubble gun with bacon scented bubbles!!  She wants to take it to Drigon to see what Layla and Higgs do with the bubbles!  Our friends, Mike, Lina  and JoAnn's grandkids made out like bandits winning nearly everything else there was to win.  OK - not everything... Humphrey's parents won a couple of things, too!!  There was only one thing that wasn't claimed, but we'll just save it for another time!

They told us that I came in 3rd for most money raised, so I won't be queen of the parade next year.  That's OK, we'll try again next year!  At least the money we raised (over $1000 so thanks to everyone who sponsored me!!) will go help save more basset hounds from shelters and get them healthy enough to find a forever home of their own!!  THAT's the most important thing!

Then it was time to clean up.  The momma helped take the canopy's down, folded up the banners and packed up the prizes that people brought today so they can put them back in storage.  We didn't get to stay to put the canopy's away or load up the van 'cuz by then the momma was limping pretty good!  Her knee held up pretty good, but by the end it was throbbing and swollen :-(

It was a good thing the dad drove - the momma was talking one minute and the next her head was bobbing!  The dad is SO jealous on how quick she can fall asleep.  He says that she must be part basset hound 'cuz she can sleep just about anywhere and in nano-seconds!!

What a glorious day!!  Now that we've all eaten dinner, everyone is laying around and napping.  I think I'm going to join them as long as the neighbors quit lighting off the fire crackers!!

Happy 4th of July everyone!  Keep you pets safe and away from loud fireworks if you can! 

Thanks once again for all the love and support (and especially if you sent in your cookie money to try to help me be queen!!  Mmmwah (thats a big kiss!)!!)  Hugs!

~Madden and the Smokin' Hot Hounds~