a GRAND project…

Grace

Respect

And

New

Dignity

a GRAND Project…

since NO ONE deserves to be exiled in a shelter, not animals nor humans… am putting out that women of means over 50, women like Oprah, Suze Orman, Shirley MacClaine, Tina and others support women with low and no income over 50 with pets… giving a new leash on life… One on one, a woman of means can Adopt a Woman and help her get back on her feet, ( giving her a strong support system)…

the mission is to create a community of women supporting one another…

l. Eco friendly Home/B&B with gardens …. each woman has her own room and bathroom (whenever possible)… and works a rotating job on site such as answering phones, taking reservations, tending the gardens, housecleaning, pet sitting and dog walking, fencing the property, doing construction, renovation and home improvement tasks as needed…

2. RV/Mobile home park, each woman has her own RV/mobile or park model and works a rotating job on site such as answering phones, taking reservations, tending the gardens, pet sitting and dog walking…

3. Yurt Motel, each woman has her own Yurt and works a rotating job on site such as answering phones, taking reservations, tending the gardens, pet sitting and dog walking…

In addition, women can choose to train a dog from an animal shelter/rescue to give the dog manners and get the dog adopted…

If you are a 501c3 organization (animal rescue, shelter or other), pet business owner, have land you would like to invest in a GRAND project or would like to donate items such as gardening supplies, fencing, computers, food (dog and human), prepaid cells phones, prepaid phone cards and more, please contact me and I will send you more info…

An Idea Whose Time Has Arrived…

happy tails and trails… and dog friendly wineries?

A great big right back at you thank you to Olga… check out her awesome photos of the goodie bag that she won last week for the Name the Traveling Dog Panties giveaway PLUS her fun dog playing with the DoggyTug video…

http://olgathetravelingbraotherstuff.blogspot.com/2008/04/happy-tails-to-you.html

a new clue for those of you who want to enter this week’s giveaway and win… name my two cats who were brothers… and poetry is one word to search for, there are other forms, poetry is plural… the cats meow… 

Cici and I will be traveling soon… next week to Mendocino, California and then south… staying in dog friendly places…  if you know of fun places, please let us know… we are especially looking to stay in yurts, tree houses, tipis and weird, unique and unusual places that feature dark chocolate, too, and speaking of chocolate, we will be featuring some yummy chocolates again soon and if you are an innkeeper or chocolatier and want to be featured here and in other publications, please call or email me asap. 

if we get to southern Oregon any time soon, I found this… pet friendly b and b’s in southern oregon

 

http://www.lodging-world.com/petfriendlysearch.us.oregon._._.html

and can you believe it, Napa/Sonoma wineries have gone to the dawgs… more on this soon… am doing research and we hope to check these out personally…

also, did you know that there are people making dog wine, dog chocolate and dog beer?  how dry I am… hiccup…  we are NOT NOT NOT recommending that anyone give regular people beer or wine to their dogs, please don’t… it’s not good for them…

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/beer-for-dogs-next-stop-doggie-aa-230729.php

http://www.beerfordogs.com/

and dog lovers wine clubs?

http://www.hsus.org/shop/dog_lovers_wine_club.html

and wine dogs…

http://www.winedogs.com/t-about.aspx

 

and dog wine labels?

http://www.critterwines.com/Dog.asp

Cici and I are looking forward to being on the road again… well, I am… not so sure about her… once we hit the beach though, she will be a very happy camper… 

     

Flat Fido… Flat Stanley… Flat Alex… just plain flat see the world…

Ok, so no response to my Naked Pit calendar idea yet… how about a Flat Fido project…  similar to the Flat Stanley project. What you do is create a Flat Fido drawing, crayons to paper, don’t have to be a great artist, just draw a doggie, make copies and then send a Flat Fido to relatives, friends, associates around the world, ask them to take photos of Flat Fido at places like the Louvre, Met Museum of Art in NYC, Bloomingdale’s, Monterey Aquarium, at the beach, on a train, on a whale watching boat, camping, in a ditch, at the circus, in a garden, at the zoo, Disneyland, SeaWorld, on a fire engine, in a police station, at a hospital or hospice, in a senior home, on a cruise ship, at the North Pole, Antarctica, Finland, Germany, India, Iraq, wherever, and also with celebs,  famous people, politicians, and send the photos of Flat Fido back to you… and then send the best ones to me…

ok, so we’re not in the lst, 2nd or 3rd grade… but I think Flat Stanley has traveled enough… it’s time for Flat Fido to see the world from a doggie perspective!  And if Flat Fido is based upon a real live dawg, and if Flat Fido meets a real dog, cat, horse, or other animal, you can name him Flat Fanny or Flat Felix…meets whoever, gimme a paragraph or two of Flat Fido’s story… therapy dog, search and rescue, family pet, whatever… clever, funny, cute, and sweet photos and stories wanted ! 

http://www.flatstanley.com/picture_gallery.html  

you can even paste a photo of your dog onto paper, or a magazine or newspaper photo of a dog onto paper…  or make a cut out of a cartoon dog…  you can give him/her a collar, a leash, and a personality, if you like.

here are some resources:

http://drawsketch.about.com/library/bl-step-dog.htm

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-draw-a-cartoon-dog 

just remember, the nice thing about Flat Fido is since he is a cardboard stick figure, pencil drawing or cartoon, or you can make him as realistic as your own dog, you don’t have to feed him, walk him, bathe him. He just hangs around, looking like he is glad to be with you.  Does he sit? Fetch? Bring your slippers and the daily newspaper? He is clean, obedient, and easy to take care of so your relatives won’t mind taking him out for a walk or a trip to the store. No poop to clean up. No muss, no fuss.

and oh by the way, my girl’s debut on squidoo….

http://www.squidoo.com/polkadotpitbull

I just wrote to someone that it should be illegal for dogs to be kept outside 24/7 on chains… this is cruel, inhumane and abusive treatment of dogs…. hurray, for this organization…

http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/home.html

TIP JARLike my blog? Drop a few bucks into the Tip Jar and buy CeliaSue a cuppa hot chocolate!

Dog friendly beaches… from Oregon to California…

ok, getting back on topic, traveling with my dog this past summer…We loved Ashland, as mentioned in my post about Silly Rabbit way back when. Medford was ok. The drive from Ashland to Brookings was very scenic, although the temperature was hot hot hot. 

We found a nice lake in Ashland near Dagoba. The folks there were gracious, gave us a few samples and directed us to a place to cool off. Cici jumped right in the water and splashed her little heart out while I watched. There was not a good place for me to be in the shade and the water was too muddy for my taste but refreshing for my dog who had been in the hot car. Splish splash.

Just north of Medford, in Grants Pass, we stopped at Cary’s, known for its English Toffee. Delish !  We received a warm welcome and free samples. They had just been featured on Rachael Ray’s TV show.  The deep dark chocolate toffee is fantastic so I was a happy camper. Cici had to stay in the car, so she waited patiently and sulked. 

http://www.carysoforegon.com/dark-chocolate.html

Brookings, Oregon was just plain strange. It was a relief to get to the cool ocean breezes and Cici was anxious to meet some doggie friends on the beach. But first, we stopped in at the Travel Center at Harris Beach State Park. They have a campground with four yurts and there is a beautiful rest area (the best we have ever sniffed anywhere).  It took some convincing and asking several people for permission to visit the yurts, but we managed to view a yurt that they use for kids. The other yurts were occupied by campers. The campground was brimming full of people, too claustrophobic for my taste. Isn’t the point of camping out to get away from everything, including people? 

The beaches from Astoria to Brookings are havens for dog lovers and their four-legged companions, who happily swim in the ocean, dig in the sand, and nap on the beach, according to the hype. The day was cloudy and overcast but we endeavored our way down the stairs to get to the beach. Cici sniffed the entire way, licked some feet of passersby, and we made it onto the sand. The coolness was invigorating and there were a few dogs with their humans. Cici wanted to play with all of them but settled for a large dog (mixed breed). The two pups rassled and chased one another across the wet sand and into pools of water while we humans chatted. Boring. 

Afterwards, we got a bite to eat at three places, a health food place, friendly people, ok carrot juice, and an Italian place, had a sad chicken parmesanlike sandwich. The third place is not even worth mentioning, that’s how bad it was. We had high hopes for chocolate but there were no venues worth mentioning. We were going to rest our sleepy heads in Brookings but the place frankly gave us the creeps. I love small towns and thought that the rest area would be safe. It was still daylight. The motels were not dog friendly and expensive. So it was not to be for us to stay overnight. There were a lot of restless adolescents (gangs) who seemed to be looking for trouble. So spur of the moment, we decided to head south.

Driving back down the coast is extremely twisty, windy on the 101 and on top of that we had weather to contend with. Thunderstorms with litning to boot. It quickly became dark and country dark, which is the darkest dark there is. Tiny towns with no accommodations, either. No place at the inn for me and my pup.  Sure, most people plan ahead  but me and my dog were flying by the seat of our paws. When you do that, you get a mixed bag. Wonderful discoveries and odd happenings. 

If I had done some research, could woulda shoulda found out about other places. We were going to go up to Gold beach but changed our minds. Oh well, another time…

http://www.beachconnection.net/news/tlodg0606_2163.htm

http://www.goldbeach.org/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/31772/petfriendly_lodging_for_a_beach_vacation.html

http://www.seacrestoregon.com/rooms.htm

Imagine, B&B’s that allow pets…

http://www.bbonline.com/petswelcome.html

and Pet friendly vacation rentals

http://www.petvr.com/index.php/index.html

Finally, after much prayer and supplication for somewhere to rest for the weary, we found a youth hostel in the middle of nowhere. It was full to capacity and then some but we were able to camp out near their parking lot. They locked the gates so that no one could get inside and we felt safe at last. Cici slept in the car while I grabbed my sleeping bag and got some shuteye on the ground. 

The next morning, early, they opened the gate for us ahead of time, and we were off. We flew down past Arcata and Eureka, checked out the wildlife along the way,and the city of Ferndale, revisited the Avenue of the Giants and hunkered down for the night in a Redwood Forest. If you have never been to the Giant Redwoods, go immediately. The hushed forests are enchanting and magical.

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/CAPHItree.html

The next day we headed down to Garberville, revisited new friends at a friendly gas station there, had a fabulous brunch, got on the Internet at the library. G-ville is a hippie enclave town, much like Sebastopol near Santa Rosa and Bodega Bay.  We checked out the parks, they were pretty small.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garberville,_California

According to wiki, The first settlers arrived in 1853 to what was then named “Dogtown.”

We checked out the One Log House… This tiny house was made out of one log and has an eating, sleeping and living area, sort of like a train compartment, only bigger. There is also a cafe where you can get on the Internet for free there. Cici sniffed and ran around on the grass. 

http://one-loghouse.com/

After awhile, we made it to Ukiah, back to the Motel 6. But first, we made some friends at the Real Goods Solar Living Center in Hopland.  Cici enjoyed her usual run around and meet people, sniffing and licking feet every step of the way. 

http://www.solarliving.org/

Tours of the Solar Living Center allow people of all ages to learn about solar and wind power, environmentally friendly building materials, passive and active solar design in architecture, and organic gardening and permaculture. Office hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time. Self-Guided Tours of the Solar Living Center are always available during business hours. Stop by the office to pick up a free self-guided tour brochure.

http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/guides/beach/beach.shtml

U.S. and Canada Beach Guide for Dogs

There are about 270 of 1,500 beaches nationwide permit dogs…

Top Ten Dog Friendly Beaches

http://americasbestonline.net/beachdog.htm

Dog day afternoons at doggie daycare camp, K9 approved Four Paws Up…

These mutts of ours have it ruff ruff, bow wow… I tell Cici all the time when she’s whining about something trivial like I haven’t played with her in five minutes that she’s so deprived… NOT… spoiled rotten pup…

 

 

I have never taken her to doggie daycare or doggie camp but am very inspired by these places below… I picked places around the country that just seemed like a lot of fun… what pet owner wouldn’t want to leave their dog for a day, a week or two at a doggie ranch where the pooches play inside and outside, romp, work, swim, and are teamed up with dogs who match their energy, size, and temperament?  Some of these places have acres of fun, a structured environment, sometimes play, naps, meal times, individual attention (the best ones, I think), to give the pups the best of all worlds… and best of all they are cage free… no steely stark hard cold jail-like confinements for these mutts… some have comfortable homes with couches and others give the mutts and their owners a choice of accommodations. It’s a dog’s life!

 

If you are an owner or manager of a doggie daycare ranch or resort or if you know someone, I would LOVE to work with you (especially if you are in a warmer climate, California, here we come again !)   and I also would like to visit and write about the experience, so invite us for a visit and we will let the world know about you!

it has been snowing all week, brrrrrr…. and while Cici loves to play in the snow, her mom, wants to move south asap… and I would love a job where I could bring my dog to work…  and I also work freelance…

 

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22300755/

 

http://www.pamperedpuppy.com/features/200602_daycare.php

http://www.doggiedorite.com/index.htm

 

http://www.campbowwowusa.com/dog-daycare/

 

http://www.pawsconcierge.com/Resort/day.aspx

 

http://www.bone-a-fide.com/

 

http://www.houstondogranch.com/daycare.html

 

http://www.thedogranch.com/doggieday.htm

 

http://www.roxysdogranch.com/index.html

 

http://www.paradiseranch.net/dog_day_care.html

 

http://www.caninenannyservices.com/11.html

 

http://www.kep-ddranch.com/H-Activities.html

 

http://www.dancinwoofs.com/Daycare/

 

http://www.canineranchnyc.com/

 

http://www.wagsandwiggles.com/

 

http://www.setiadogs.com/state/michigan/metamora/flyingacanineranch/

 

http://www.luckydogranch.net/

 

http://www.rompattheranch.com/daycare/index.htm

 

http://playfulpoochusa.com/

 

http://www.dogboys.com/

 

http://www.findpetcare.com/se/dog-daycare-san-jose.htm

 

http://www.setiadogs.com/state/texas/sanantonio/pawderosaranch/

 

http://www.roverranchandspa.com/services.html

 

http://lovedogscamp.com/

 

http://waggintailswa.com/lodging.html

 

http://www.dogstarranch.com/home.htm

 

http://www.luckydawgs.us/

 

http://www.vintagekennelclub.com/boarddcare.html

 

http://www.doggieduderanchllc.com/daycare.asp

 

http://www.dairydellcanine.com/services/servicesOverview.html

 

http://www.thedoggieden.net/

 

http://www.creeksidecrittercare.com/dogdaycare.html

 

http://www.happytailsdogranch.com/daycare.htm

 

http://www.dogworksranch.com/?page_id=2

 

http://www.dogdaycare.com/sanmarcos/daycare.php

 

http://www.muttmates.com/

 

http://www.ladogworks.com/welcome.html

 

http://www.chateaumarmutt.com/

 

http://www.cagefreecanines.com/

 

http://www.personalpreferencepetresortspa.com/services/

 

http://avalonranchdogadventurecamp.com/index.html

http://www.dogworldabq.com/public/index.php

http://www.athenspetropolis.com/doggiedaycare.htm

Our Bed & Biscuit Suites are the ultimate in luxury. Each private suite comes with a flat screen TV built into the wall. Every guest gets a full sized toddler bed, toys and food. They even get a massage before bedtime! These suites are more quiet and are a great choice for dogs that tend to get easily stressed or for older dogs or just for those dogs that enjoy the good life.l

Give the Gift of Travel this Holiday season…

… with a Green Goddesses  Gift Certificate!

 

What better way to celebrate the Girlfriends in your life than with the Gift of Travel?

 

Your 2007 Holiday Trip of a Lifetime / Girlfriends Getaway… and 2008 Freedom Escapades include: 

 

Northern California and southern Oregon Chocolates, Whales, Farms and Redwood Forests… Taste the Sun and the Chocolates! 

 

Luxury Tour of Hawaii 

 

Cruise to New Zealand and Australia

 

Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon 

 

Travel in Comfort and Style with your Favorite GirlFriends!

 

Discounts available for groups of four or more…  

 

 

Check out the website:

 

 

http://greengoddessesguide.googlepages.com/travel

 

 

 

 

 More about the trip:

 

Northern California and southern Oregon Chocolates, Whales, Farms and Redwood Forests

  10 day Eco-Safari…   4-day weekend retreats are also available… 

Satisfy your Sweet Tooth and Taste the Sun…

 

Travel in Comfort and Style with your Favorite GirlFriends!

 

 

Day 1: Monterey... Individual flights and arrival in Monterey. We meet at 12:30 PM. Getting to Know You Lunch.  Then we spend a leisurely afternoon taking the famous 17 mile scenic drive to Carmel, where we will shop, spa, sample chocolates at the local Sweet Shoppe and enjoy the art galleries in this lovely location.  A delectable dining experience. Imagine stargazing by the ocean waves, and leisurely strolls along the  sand.

 

Day 2: Sea Otters and Whales and Sharks, oh my... Enjoy a morning visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Watch sea otters at play, learn about the Mysteries of the Deep, kelp and jellyfish. Afternoon, whale watching excursion to commune with oceanlife up close and personal. Can’t you just smell and feel the salty breezes? After wine tasting, we spend the evening in a beautiful inn in Pacific Grove.

 

Day 3: Santa Cruz…  Heading north, we explore the magnificent coastline and indulge in sampling Donnelly’s Chocolates. Yum yum. Cruising along, we end up at an Eco-Retreat and sleep in yurts, cabins, and/or tents under the stars. Informal dinner and s’mores around the campfire. Anyone got any ghost stories?

 

Day 4: Half Moon Bay…  We literally stop and smell the roses  and sample organic edible delights such as farm fresh goat cheese, pick your own berries, and other locally grown produce, plants and flowers (seasonal). Majestic peacocks strut their stuff, horses, cows, sheep and llamas greet us while  we learn organic farming techniques. Lunch at a local favorite Thai restaurant and dinner a delicious treat  (the best chocolate dessert on the planet). Overnight stay at a Farm Retreat. Are we having fun yet? 

 

Day 5: San Francisco Chocolate factories and shopping galore by the Bay. Cable cars, Ghiardelli Square, and much more.

 

Day 6: Marin County and Bodega Bay: Driving north up the coast, from Bolinas to Bodega. The movie The Birds was filmed at this sleepy beach community. Salt water taffy, kites and nearby The Armstrong Woods, an awesome redwood forest experience.

 

Day 7: Ukiah:  The Real Goods Solar Living Center, learn how Solar Energy works, practical, fun exhibits and a unique gift shop. 

 

Day 8: Avenue of Giants:  We drive and walk amongst the hushed silence of these ancient magnificent trees… An incredible 31-mile scenic drive… a Gingerbread Mansion… and so much more. 

 

Day 9: Mt. Shasta & Ashland: You Silly Rabbit, Harry & David, Dagoba’s, Cary’s and more… Shakespeare, anyone?

 

Day 10:  A Tasty Time was had by all … A hearty breakfast, followed by a charming walk through the downtown area. Time to bid each other adieu as we go to the Airport for our flights home.

 

 

 

 

 

Women Just Wanna Travel the World with Their GirlFriends…

Did you know that according to AAA, Girlfriends Getaways account for about four percent of all USA Leisure travel and the leading reasons women want to getaway is to bond with friends or family and to
escape from their daily responsibilities. The most popular activities while on a Girlfriends Getaway are dining out, shopping, spa-ing and going to the beach or pool.

Sweet Safaris Eco-Tours have it all and Much Much More…

Explore the scenic wonders of the northern California coast and southern Oregon’s treasures
An intimate gathering of 8-12 women, mothers and daughters, gal pals, work associates, bachelorettes, and new best friends, laughing, singing, sampling chocolates at factories, savoring yummy desserts,
shopping, spa-ing, snapping picturesque photos of white sand beaches and Giant Redwood forests, sipping fine wines, snacking on Thai, Chinese, turkey burgers, fish and chips, whale watching, organic farming, Solar Living, Mt. Shasta, Carmel’s famous 17 mile scenic tour, and so much more… Sleep in a yurt, cabin, farmhouse, camp out underneath the stars (seasonal), sample unique B&B inns and indulge in
upscale, stylish hotels …

Ten days leisurely driving along the northern California coast. Our last stop will be Ashland, Oregon, a chocolate mecca and home to year-round Shakespeare Festival. A dream come true. Share this holiday
with women you love to spend time with. Make it an annual tradition. Optional horseback rides along the beach at Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay. A refreshing vacation package for sun and fun lovers includes
gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, scenic rejuvenation and chocolates, who could ask for anything more?

Ask about upcoming Eco-tours to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon and luxury tours to Hawaii, that include a spectacular cruise to New Zealand and Australia…

Women just wanna travel the world with their Girlfriends!

http://greengoddessesguide.googlepages.com/home

I am a published travel writer and co-author of five romantic travel guides, originally from NYC. I have lived in Monterey, Burlingame (SF airport area) and Bodega Bay and know many local favorite hot spots, secret surprises and can share insider’s tips about writing travel stories. This summer, as you know, I took this grand tour along the California coast to Ashland, Oregon with my wonder dog. I have traveled around the world and lived in Bangladesh, Canada, England, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, India, Israel,
Singapore and Thailand (as well as NYC, Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada). I have also driven across the USA numerous times.