Bond

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A New Seed

Well, apparently new seeds were growing last year.  I would like to introduce my new little brother Luke Skywalker de Louisiana a.k.a. SKY. I gave him the Codename 0012.img_9999b

Ain’t he something else?! His shelter name was Luke, we added Skywalker. SKY was moved from an overcrowded Louisiana shelter that was not suited for puppies to North Florida. Hence his last name. He is roughly 5 months old and our vet said that he was probably a mix between a Border Collie and Springer Spaniel.  SKY has aspirations to become a Jedi Master. When my former agility trainer saw his photo she said, “The Force is strong in this one”. So maybe he’s on his way.

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To be honest, I am hoping he can join me on my super-secret missions sometime in the future. With a name like SKY, he should be able to fly, don’t you think? That should come in handy on our Mission Impossibles.

SKY started his tactical training last Friday at headquarters. He has to wait at least a couple of months before he can start any offsite agility training but for now, he can start with the basics at headquarters. It’s a lot of chewing on a bone and sometimes there is a bone of contention but I’ve shown that it can be done. Anyhowls, in the meantime, SKY can prepare for his S.T.A.R. exam. More on all this prep work at a later time. For now, this puppy needs some rest.

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Signing off,

Dg. B, a.k.a. 0011
Commander in Chief
Headquarters

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Mach 2+

Hi, it’s 0011 here, reporting from HQ in the U.S. It has been speculated that I’m a super fast runner. Maybe even Mach 2+ according to Special Operations Force (SOF) leader Da Phenny (DP)*  who resides in France. Of course, this theory has to be tested. What better way to do this than running on a runway? So last weekend,  DP and his highly trained SOF team scouted an ole airport in France to find out if it can serve as a secret mission site. Via special secret channels, leader DP debriefed me yesterday. Based on this debrief, HQ and I will decide if the mission is a go or not. Here is the decoded debrief, it will self-destruct in 5-4-yes, you better start reading guys-3-2….:

1. What were some of the most interesting discoveries you made while you visited the ole airport?
DP: I saw a swimming pool there so we can cool off hot paws… and the old tanks are open now, but empty… no chance to feed our ride with some magic stuff :o)
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0011: Good to know, we definitely need some cooling liquid for our special running equipment. We should bring some wire cutters to get to the pool.

2. How did you get in? What gear did you need? Did you encounter any obstacles?
DP: You only have to jump over some rocks and you are in. It’s open night and day, 7 days per week. We just should avoid this place on Sundays when a crazy bunch of self-appointed druids is there…
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DP: Oh, and there is a tree on the ground, so we have to hire a lift boy…maybe my dad can get that job…
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0011: HQ agrees, the lift-boy might be necessary so we will have to get funding for that. Maybe crowdfunding will work. Or we can tell him that it’s a gym workout. Q at HQ always goes for that line.

3. Did you do a test run on the runway? Did you reach Mach 2?
DP: I did a test… wow I was as fast as a lightning… but no Mach 2 because my dad had me on a walking string.
0011: I know those bipeds can be a drag. We will have to cut the cord for the actual secret mission, so sharpen those teeth.
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4. Did you see a Concorde? If not, what other flying objects did you notice?
Sadly there was no Concorde… not even Eddie the Eagle… but I saw a bumble bee…
0011: That’s a bit disappointing then. It would have been some nice competition. Not a major setback though. Those things can be a bit noisy.
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5. What’s the surface of the runway? Is it smooth, are there potholes, etc.? Anything that we should be concerned about in anticipation of the actual secret mission?
DP: The runway is covered with moss now… it is as slippery as ice, you get a lot of boost and you nearly can slide with Mach 2… maybe it makes sense to wear ski or ice skates?
0011: You’re on a roll DP. We could potentially get phenomenal speeds with ski or ice skates. I like your thinking.
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6. What do you anticipate to be a major challenge for our sound barrier experiment? Why?
DP: The barrier they have there… it makes a great breaking point but it could in the way when you take a run-up…
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0011: Hmmm, we may have to bring some additional gear. I am just thinking out loud here but we could ski as fast as we can up to it and then use it as a launching pad to reach Mach 2+.

7. Is there anything else that you feel is important to share?
DP: The HQ sadly broke down last winter.
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0011: Yeah that is one sad looking thing. It morphed into a tree.
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DP: That’s bad in case we will have a Mach 2-party after the mission. I suggest a tree house on this tree… it’s made for a tree house, right? …and no, cool boys don’t take the ladder, right?
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0011: That is one good looking tree dude. But you’re right, ladders are a no-no. We will just jump right in the party  special ops house.

*Go to the Easyweimaraner for more information on SOF leader Da Phenny.

—End of Debrief Notes—

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MI-2

A quick update. At the moment I am pretty busy preparing for my second Mission Impossible (MI-2). Since I get a lot of questions about my new line of work, I thought that I would explain, to the extent possible, what I do. Most of it is classified, but I can at least try to describe the general gist. My assistant just finished updating my resume too, so take a peek (click here) for a short overview of what I do.

M (Mom) is the head of SIS (Super Individual Service) where I work. She determines my assignments and supervises my work. Both M and I are at headquarters a lot to prepare for my missions. I am not only trained at headquarters but also off-site. It’s a nice mix of different types of training and locations which prepare me well for my super-secret-missions. While I’m training and on special missions, I wear my special camo-suit. On a mission I also wear my magic blue harness. This harness opens doors to alternative realities that otherwise remain closed to us canines. For very special occasions, I wear a red bow tie. It has been speculated that it enhances the magic power of my blue harness. I am in the process of testing this theory.

Checking out the S-SD
Testing the S-SD
Aiming the S-SD

My tools are either fabricated or modified at headquarters. Q is the tinkerer, he gives technical advice or modifies tools as needed. The Super-Screwdriver (S-SD) that I am showing in the photos above is a tool that I recently learned to use. It is not to be confused with Doctor Who’s Sonic Screwdriver. You have to be really careful with the S-SD. A turn to the left unscrews the world. However, a wrong turn to the right (yeah I know it is counterintuitive that’s what makes it so hard) and you screw up the world even more. And that my friends is definitely not advisable considering the current state of affairs. Hmmm, what else? Ah, Ms. Zulu adds that I am well known for my fast handshakes left and right and hugs that are as sweet as honey. Oh, and I love a good chase. OK, I have to go now. Have a great week, spread some hugs while you are on a roll.

0011 a.k.a. B

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Mission Possible

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Back at headquarters after a successful run 

Yahoo! On Valentine’s Day Mission Impossible 1 (MI-1 for you insiders) became Mission Possible. The preparations were a bit harsh as I had to be cleaned top to bottom. Yes, that includes ears, mouth, and nails! And you know that taking a bath is not one of my favorite endeavors. But on our missions, we are fighting pesky microorganisms so it has to be done. It helped that I was fed lots of yummies during the ordeal. The amount was almost as much as my dinner. Now I come to think of it, I think we pretty much skipped my dinner. Hmmm…, I only had a little bite after my bath… I was tricked!!!

Once onsite, doors automatically opened for me, and nurses and patients of all ages welcomed us with open arms. Maybe my blue harness is a magic cape after all. Inside the not to be named building, I discovered that I was the only real dogtor in attendance. Fortunately, my training kicked in immediately and I was on red alert for imminent action. I can even say that I single-pawedly was able to save a day here and there by shaking hands left and right and giving out hugs like candy. The red bow tie that I picked out for this special V-day certainly helped too. Looking back, I can now rest assured that my numero uno super-secret-mission was a success. Onward to the next one; but first I will take a well-deserved big nap!

Signing off,

Double-O-Eleven.

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Mission Impossible: 1

We are preparing for my first secret mission in the field: Code Name MI-1. The mission is planned for next week. That means that we had to 1) go out in the field, 2) scope the area, 3) do a test run, and 4) debrief.

Scoping the area
Ready to do a test run
Talking with people
Debriefing: looking back
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I am happy to report that we were able to successfully scope the area (no we can’t show you the real site as I would have to k.ll-u). The test run had to be done off-site for various obvious reasons. Since we had to get some paint we thought we would go to the Home Depot, a home improvement store, and kill two birds with one stone. Yes, that is a figure of speech;  we don’t really kill birds here either. After all, we are now dogtors! We talked with a lot of people at the test run site. Everybody seems to be interested in what I am doing these days.

Understandably, nerves are running a bit high at this point but the results of the test run during the debrief showed us that we are in tip-top shape. Just keep your paws, fingers, or other digits crossed for a successful mission next week and we should be good to go. Double-O-Eleven (a.k.a. Benji).