Mission Impossible

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On the Move

I did not!
Hide the evidence Benji
Or shred the evidence..

Some exciting news from headquarters this Christmas. There is lots of movement, talk about moving, and moving parts to manage. Stuff is being donated or sold -yes, Da Sky and I are very closely guarding our stuff –  and boxes are being filled.  Da Sky and I even had to practise sitting in a big box for a gazillion days couple of hours. No, no, we are not left behind since we are considered priceless. Pew, that’s a relief.

The word is that we will move overseas but we won’t travel by boat. Why not travel by boat over the sea? Yeah, that beats me too. Traveling by boat would have been my first choice since I got my captain’s license way back and Da Sky is a fine first mate. Instead, we will travel by car and then in an air-monster. The car will be easy peasy. We will even have a VIP chauffeur flown in for us from Europe Still, I’m not too sure about the air-monster. You-all know that Da Sky can fly and  I’m famous for breaking the sound barrier but we are no rocket stars. I guess that’s about to change. Where we’re going? That seems to be all hush-hush and top-secret. All I know is that we haven’t been there yet, they have lots of sheep to chase look at, and it’s far, far away.

While the moving parts are moving, Sky and I are trying to fit in a couple of things one more time. I finished my last secret mission and I got my AKC Novice JWW (Jumpers with Weaves) title (with three first places). My little brother got his first Q and a second-place at his first AKC agility event ever.  Pretty good heh?! He had barely turned 15 months, the minimum age to enter. We also said our goodbyes to Apalachicola. We missed Miss Martha but were able to sail one more time on the big float a.k.a. The Follower. I was told that the big float won’t be able to follow us overseas. Yep, that’s another mystery to me. I would think that we can slow down soon but knowing headquarters that might be wishful thinking. If I don’t see you before the end of the year:

A bit of shopping
Some drinks
Sailing on the big float
Ms Martha MIA

Happy Howli-Days and Smooth Sailing from all of us!

P.S. Don’t eat all Santa’s cookies and if you do make sure you shred the evidence.

Benji 

 

 

 

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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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MP-18 and MP-19

You probably wondered if we’re still alive. I’m happy to report that is still the case. We are just a bit behind in the blogging world. My human got busy with other stuff so blogging was put on the back burner. I know, what could be more important than doggy adventures?!

Manatees hanging in a tree
Dolphins in the city
A bear!
At the Homeless and At-Risk Veterands Stand Down event
R.E.A.D.

Rest assured, I haven’t sat still. On April 19, I went to a CCI outing with my assistants-in-training buddies. We encountered lots of wildlife in the big city, seriously that is no joke. Manatees were hanging from trees and dolphins could be seen splashing in front of buildings. So WEIRD! The next day I had some Dogtoring to do at the Homeless and At-Risk Veterans Stand Down event. This is an annual event to help homeless and at-risk veterans. Several people asked if I was up for adoption. WOL, of course not! On Saturday I went to the library to help children read. That was my fifth time. I even had two repeat customers.

Happy wanderings, don’t forget to smile,

Benji

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MP-17 and Such

Hi, hope you’re enjoying your Saturday! We went to the library for a R.E.A.D. session. I got lots of reading, petting, and reversed Reiki in. Afterward, we had to get some fertilizer for our fruit trees. This is supposed to help grow fruit in abundance. Not sure why we bother as it always takes fur-ever for the fruit to appear. Once the fruits finally do show up I’m supposed to leave them alone; I can’t even nose the fruit for a daily progress check. On top of that, last year Bear ended up with most of the persimmons. We ended up with less than 10 of the 100+ that were on the tree before the bear was let loose. That’s less than a 10% return rate. While I did get some of the 9 tiny! apples that showed up, 0 persimmons ended up in my tummy. So not a good investment if you ask me.

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Again, why are we feeding the trees instead of me?

I heard that if you want apples, you have to shake the trees. Maybe I should follow that advice this year because I definitely want me some apples. Yum!

Benji

 

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MP-16

This morning I volunteered for the third time to read with children at the library as a R.E.A.D. companion.*  I like going to the library; everybody is always so nice to me! The children pet me while they read aloud to me and I even get yummies for my tummy. I  favor books with pictures. Especially when they show animals; that’s when I pay close attention. I think I’m ready now to take a nap after all that volunteering. I didn’t know that reading can make you feel tired.

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At the library with my R.E.A.D. gear

* “R.E.A.D. companions are registered therapy animals who volunteer with their owner/handlers as a team, going to schools, libraries, and many other settings as reading companions for children.” (Intermountain Therapy Animals)

Benji

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MP-15 and CCI

Yesterday was another busy bee day in the Life of Benji. In the morning I helped children read at the library. The children were ranging in age from 2.5 years to about 11 years. Some of them were a bit intimidated by my size. I tickled their hands with my whiskers to break the ice. When they felt how soft I am, they were hooked and couldn’t get enough of me.

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In the afternoon, I went sailing with CCI buddies Adonis and Flint. It was their first time out on the water so I showed them the ropes. They seem to catch on fast. Don’t be surprised when we are soon sailing all by ourselves.  That should be easy as we don’t have to ask the humans for any keys. Flint is a new recruit. You couldn’t tell that he is only four months old; he behaved so well.

It’s hard work keeping an eye on things
Adonis helped me
Adonis says he can get used to this
I agree
Showing the ropes
Flint is
Eager to learn

Lights were turned off around 6:00 PM, that’s when we all got sleepy. After a good meal, I went to bed satisfied and content knowing that my missions went well.

Sunsets are always pretty
At the coast

Benji

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MP-14

Yes, I did it; I turned another Mission Impossible into a Mission Possible! Last Saturday, I read with the kids at the library and decided that it was a lotta fun. They stroked my ears, those are definitely my sweet spots, my back, and even my belly while they read to me. I had two incognito sessions at the library before I officially opened my office. Next time I will ask my photographer/ driver/ butler/ whatever-I-need-person to take a photo of my office. It has cute monkeys on the wall, even though we are not supposed to monkey around.

Here is a photo of my new outfit for the R.E.A.D. program.  I use it together with my favorite blanket that states: “In a perfect world every dog has a home”. Ain’t that the truth.

My new outfit
On my favorite blanket
I love to share
With my Big Sis

Benji

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MP-13

Today we turned another Mission Impossible into a Mission Possible. It was the 13th visit so what could go wrong, eh? We went back to the adult care center. This time I was the only Dogtor so I was a busy bee and I don’t even have wings. Everyone was pleased to see us again. We chatted our heads off with the folks for about half an hour when I heard rumbling noises. It was faint at first, well not to me but those with shorter ears seem to be less sensitive to sound; it definitely got louder over time. I looked at M and we both figured that it was time to go home before it would catch up with us. It was good that we did. As soon as I jumped in the car it started raining cats and dogs. Lucky for us, we did not get a visit from that fellow Harvey that caused havoc way west of us. He is a bad, bad, guy from what I’ve heard. Lots of people and animals got themselves into a pickle. Some even died because of Harvey;  so sad. Our thoughts are with everybody in that area. If you would like to help with the animal disaster relief efforts visit https://www.houstonpetset.org/hurricane-harvey-relief-fund/

Oh man
Look at that
Lots of sunshine to sniff
No problems here

As we drove away from the adult care center, the sky got brighter the closer we got to headquarters. Maybe the noisy pickles got scared by Ms. Zulu’s Border Collie stare. I don’t blame them, she can be pretty intimidating at times. Maybe barking helps too. I wouldn’t mind taking the lead on that sometime. OK, gotta run. I have a playdate with my CCI friend. After the playdate we will go shopping and meet more CCI friends in the city!

Let the sunshine in,

WOOFFF!

Benji

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MP-12

Happy with a cold drink
Live TV
Just chillin

I know, I know, we are way behind on updating you but I had a couple of busy weeks so thought I would chill on my sofa with live television before I got back on track. I’m happy to report that on Wednesday another Mission Impossible became possible. I went to a youth center where I met teenagers who are enrolled in a non-residential counseling program. It was a new place for me so I met lots of new people. I worked the crowd together with one of my colleagues, a Great Pyrenees. He is a great guy literally and figuratively speaking. We learned that he has been in the business for more than 4 years. That’s twice as long as I have been on this planet! The guy was very calm. I guess that’s what happens when you have done this a million times.

The kids at the youth center are a hoot. They wanted to know everything under the sun about me. Their greeting ritual is a bit different from mine as they wanted me to shake their hands over and over again. I got rewarded with treats so it was no problemo. I even put in a couple of spins for good measure. Afterwards, we stopped at a cafe to cool down. It’s hot here, 102 degrees Fahrenheit, so we ordered drinks on the rocks.

Stay cool and have a pawbulous weekend,

Benji

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MP-6

Wow, another mission accomplished.  I visited the emergency center again. This time I went with another Dogtor. Her name is Katrina. She graduated at the same time I did and she is already 15 years old.  That is 3+ years older than my big sis and 10 times older than me! Isn’t that something?! Katrina is very calm. She loves to lie down whenever there is a chance. I rather sit and smile at people.

I’ve noticed that people seem to recognize me more and more. They call my name and want to say hi. They even want to take pictures of me. I got lots of practice at headquarters sitting still for a photo plus treat, so I always say “no problemo” [ed. as long as there are treats].

At the embroidery place
Me supervising
Unloading the car at home

When we were done with all the Dogtoring, M and I went to an embroidery place. I went inside to say hi and gave them my blue bandana that will be embroidered with our logo. I will try to remember to show you the result as soon as it’s done.

Next on our agenda was the Pet Supermarket.  Yeah, we needed more treats and another bag of food. M says that’s because one being in our household eats at least for two three. I can tell you that ain’t me because my tummy always feels like it could hold lots more yummies.

More pictures were taken at the Pet Supermarket too. This was nicely balanced out with treats. Thanks to the friendly lady assistant at the store who did notice that I could use some more. At the cash register, one of the shoppers asked if I was up for adoption. M didn’t know how fast to say no, pay, and practically drag me outside. I guess that’s an affirmative NO.

To sum things up, it was a productive day and I can rest assured that my forever home will be forever, ever after.  How’s that for a good ending?!

Night, night and sleep tight,

Benji

 

 

 

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MP-5

Another Mission Impossible became Possible. I was called up for duty to the emergency center for the second time. As we walked from the car to the entrance an ambulance came up with its siren on. It didn’t distract me as I munched on lots of treats. It’s always nice when they show up at the right time. The need for me must have been high because lots of people were standing right at the door to greet me.  Needless to say, I did a lot of pawshaking. The youngest guy I saw was three years old. I helped him and his dad ease their stay.

When we were done we went to my favorite store. There were numerous interruptions as we walked through the petstore. People kept asking us about my Dogtor status. We were supposed to get one bag of dry food and one bag of treats. We walked out of the store with a big bag of dry food and eight different kinds of treats. I guess I had earned my keep.

My favorite aisle
A job well done

Happy Wednesday,
Benji

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Mission Impossible: 4 = MP-4

I did it! I commandeered the big box yesterday! I learned that a little help from my friends makes a huge difference. I went with my buddy Capone and a new CCI friend. I think it was their magic capes that made it work. M forgot to bring my magic harness, she even forgot my leash…., but that was quickly resolved as I could borrow one of Capone’s.

We found the big box waaay back in a building. We had to walk through small corridors and a crowd of people to get there. But it worked, I stepped right in, sat down, and then wooshhh we went all the way up from the basement up into the sky. It was a spiffy big box as it hardly made a sound. The pic is a bit blurry; we were going that fast! Proof that warp speed travel is possible.

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Warp speed traveling

Once we were high in the sky, the doors opened on the other side and a deliciously good aroma lured us out of the big box. Lots of people were dining and we were greeted by some very nice people who wanted hugs. And that my friend, I have plenty of.

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My CCI friends

Hugs for all of you too, Benji.

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MP-3

Hi peeps, just wanted to let you know that another super-secret mission is behind me. The covert operation was yesterday while the actual mission in Dogtor uniform was today. No gates this time, but impressive heavy wooden doors and lots of small corridors with people coming from nowhere and everywhere. We passed a cook in one of the corridors. I detected him from miles away. I liked him a lot, he smelled delish. He can come to my house anytime.

And guess what: there was another big box in the building! Before I started my missions, I never saw one and now they show up out of nowhere. M found it to be a sign. I have to agree with her. So after we had completed MP-3, we went into the city and found one to practice with. This one was pretty obvious as you can see. It said Dream Big in 3D. I guess higher authorities didn’t want me to miss the big box. The only thing that was missing was my S-SD device.

Dream Big
In Capital Letters

Happy Dreams, make them big,
0011

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Then and Now: 6

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On my drive home from the shelter (11-3-15)

Remember this picture? Not sure if I have shown it to you before. This is how I used to be transported. No expenses were spared, WOL. The day M adopted me from the shelter (November 3, 2015), she used the big box to bring me home. It was the first big box I ever traveled in. That’s when I learned that big boxes can take you to new worlds, to boldly go where you have never gone before.

I was only 6.5 weeks old when M saw me and she hadn’t anticipated that she was allowed to take me home. But the lady at the shelter said she could and of course M was so smitten with me that she had to take me home before someone else did. Because of zero preparation time, yes this is very unlike the normal procedure at headquarters but I think seeing my picture on petfinder.com threw all caution to the wind that morning, M didn’t have a crate in her car. After desperately rummaging around in the trunk of the car, she did manage to find a big cardboard box and a blue beach towel. Before anyone could argue she had me in the car and drove me home sweet home in the big box.

The first box shrunk at some point. Why? I don’t know. Maybe it was washed too many times. Anyhowls, the box was eventually replaced by, how could it be otherwise, another “expensive” big box. I traveled in that one many more times when the car was full with people and my crate just wouldn’t fit.

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No expenses were spared… (12-3-15)

These days I travel in style on the back seat in a hammock. I was so proud when I was finally allowed to sit in the back seat without the crate. The arrangement is very comfortable and most of the time I sleep meditatively when I am driven to my missions.

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First time without a crate (1-24-16)

Sometimes I can even travel “shotgun” when the backseat is taken by other things that have to be driven around. Those times M drives like a snail on muscle relaxers while she normally tends to drive like a car racer on steroids. Not my words; just repeating hearsay. In her defense, I’ve never seen her drive like a maniac when I am in the car. Either way, we are still trying to find a dependable safety harness for me. Have you found one? We have asked around and researched the topic but the jury is still out on whether there is such a thing as a dependable safety harness for canines.

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Traveling in style (2-14-17)

Wishing you happy and safe travels,
B

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MP-2

Yesterday, I was called up for a second super-secret-mission (Mission Possible 2). This time the higher authorities wanted my expertise as a real Dogtor at a special community with gates and everything. Of course, as a real soldier, I did not refuse. My preparations for this mission was two-fold. The day prior we had a thorough scrub session to fight pesky microorganism. This part is getting a lot easier. M now knows that I like some good food with my bath and that the water temperature needs to be right, i.e. not too cold and not too hot. On the day of the mission I did the usual: go for a walk with my prep team, take an extra long nap, meditate, brush my teeth, put on my best suit and tie, and then I was finally good to go.

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All suited up

My prep team consisted of Ms. Zulu and M. Ms. Zulu adds lots of practical wisdom to the team. She is especially well versed in Zuluism and she taught me how to take long refreshing naps. M is for tactical advice and general guidance. And of course, she is my chauffeur. Q was missing in action. He seems to be busy with other missions.

Zuluism in practice
Ms. Zulu supervises
Mental preparation

Once we were on the premises, the action began. I met B, another real Dogtor and her supervisor. We decided to walk around to sniff out if all was secure. Only after the OK sign from us Dogtors did we go inside the building. Doors automatically slid open with my magic harness and we were welcomed by lots of people who were happy to see us. I had to watch out for rolling wheelchairs that could easily squash my tail and frail toes that I tried to avoid. From time to time, big storage carts would come flying around corners. It looked like they had wings, they were so fast. They were noisy too, I can tell you that.

There was also a big box that we stepped into. It was located away from the main area, in a carpeted hallway. Doors closed once we were inside. Then a low hum, a bit of shaking, and the doors opened again. I made sure to take in the surroundings before I stepped out. I immediately noticed that something was off. I am 100%  sure that the layout of the hallway and rooms was exactly the same but here is the kicker, the people were different and there was no carpet anymore on the floor. I must have time traveled!  Now I come to think of it, the box kind of looked like the TARDIS, you know the time machine. This one was gray instead of blue though. Maybe this machine worked properly, contrary to the one my esteemed colleague Doctor Who uses.

If I would have known that I would time travel, I would have brought my S-SD. It probably would have helped on the way back to our timeline. You see, I had a bit of a problem getting back in the big box so the executive decision was made to take the staircase. Luckily this one did not end up in heaven so I was able to return sound and safely on solid ground. M said that we will try to find another big box (there are more?!) so that we can practice how to better commandeer the device.  Sounds like a plan to me.

Double-O-Eleven

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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
Our logo

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).