The Welcome to The Polar Regions Tea Party and Toy Exchange!

Well, we met the welcome deputation from the North Pole today! We still have some way to travel, but a number of Elves, Reindeers and Snowmen have come part of the way out to greet us.

They threw us a lovely Tea Party Reception with Peppermint Tea (or Schnapps) and lots of cake and ice cream. They have the BEST Ice Cream up here! I guess it figures that the best Ice Cream would come from the Arctic. I really love the flavor called "Christmas Berry" but some of the other ones are delicious too! I must remember to take a carton back to my little friend Zaidie. He loves Ice Cream.

We also each got a really neat toy! It is the latest model of something called the "Fetch-a-Bone" which can both toss itself and also will return to you if you don't feel like going after it. AND it tastes like CHEESE!

Our Friends Sandra Marie and Arnold are here with us now. Little Dubs appears to be giving Arnold the eye. He IS a handsome dog, and very sweet. I think she is still a little young for boyfriends, but I think I will let things run the course.

After we break camp in the morning we will be on our last stage to the Pole. I understand we are going to have a gala reception and tour of the workshops. I better go shake out some of the formal wear - it might have gotten a bit flattened while packed away on the sledges!

More details after we reach the Pole!

Love, Big Savvy!

Sandra Marie!

Today we were thrilled to see that our dear friend Sandra Marie joined us for the rest of the trip! She arrived early this morning - the Beaver Courier Service helped with their lightening quick transport. We got her outfitted in a darling candy striped snowsuit with the cutest little red beret! She looks like she is all ready for Santa right now! And we are moving on right after the tasty pancake breakfast (with bacon!) that our Master Chef Chi-Chi is fixing for us.

Today we are going to be travelling among the reindeer herds who are headed north in the hopes of getting a placement on Santa's Team for this year. Many of them are still in training and have offered to allow us to ride them as part of their exercise program. So short hops will be offered on Airborne Reindeer. That will be a real thrill!

Last night we enjoyed a concert of hiccuping puppies (hiccuping from excitement, not from Schnapps!) beneath the star filled Northern Sky! It was something to remember for a lifetime. The musical sound of their little voices rising to the sky - somehow they managed to hiccup in harmony and it was quite delightful.

We are stopping early today - to give the Polar Bears a free afternoon - and so we will be playing snowball fights and ice sledding and skating for the pups and dinner will be a Deluxe Eskimo Feast. I don't know what that will consist of, but this fresh cold air gives a pup a HOOGE appetite, so whatever it is, I am first in line!

Love, Savvy!

Candy Cane Forest!

Early on this mornings stage of the journey we entered the famous Candy Cane Forest! What a beautiful and fresh smelling scene! We stopped for an early break and enjoyed some steaming cups of peppermint tea along with a freshly baked chocolate cupcake that our master baker Chi-Chi whipped up for us in her travelling oven. Delicious!

Most of our party is well equipped for cold temperatures - of course my darling Demon is a husky as is his beautiful sister Angel. Samoa has a full coat, but needs (or claims to need) snuggling breaks with Angel about every 20 minutes.

I am a short haired dog, but we Labradors were bred for braving the North Atlantic and so I can handle it pretty well. Dubs is a warm weather dog - she has a fine and silky coat so she is wearing a Polar-Tec snowsuit and a Santa Hat. She also has darling little mittens and footies. Mostly she rides on one of the sledges, but we bigger dogs get down and run once in a while.

There is nothing as exciting as running across an expanse of sparkling snow! It reminds me of when I read "Call of the Wild" except for all the sad parts. Before us stretches the untouched Polar Plains and we feel as if we could run forever in the cold, clean air!

At Lunchtime we will be 1/4 way from the Arctic Circle to the North Pole. So we will probably arrive before the weekend! I can see the Lunch Campsite ahead of us just now! I believe we are having a tasty oatmeal and blubber stew with cornbread. This cold air will build the appetite!

More tomorrow from your Polar Correspondent!
Savannah!

North Pole, Here we come!

We are now camped on the Arctic Circle. Many of you may not know that there is actually a circle that designates this line. It is apparently drawn on with chalk and extends out of sight in either direction. How it got here is something of a mystery, but plainly parts of it have been refreshed as there were some broken bits of playground chalk found about a half mile from our campsite.

This will have to remain a mystery for now, though Samoa is already fuming about Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney and some sort of conspiracy he thinks might be the cause. More of that from him, but he is taking a nap right now, having mistaken the warm cocoa with peppermint stick for the warm cocoa laced with peppermint schnapps that the Chihoohaas smuggled along. He will be ok, a nap and a hot bowl of stew will fix him right up.

This is our first campsite using the new deluxe "Weather Conqueror" tents. They are very handy and can provide excellent shelter, no matter what sort of weather you use them in. We would have found these handy when we were on our camping trip last year to the Grand Canyon Area. Perhaps we will go back to the Southwest soon to visit our good pal, Kirby.

Here I need to give a shout out to all my good friends in Canada who have suggested we stop by for a visit on our way back south! Be delighted! So very thoughtful of you!

We will bring candy canes from the North Pole and have a lovely visit.

Tomorrow we are going to proceed further north - I understand that soon we will start to find evidence of Elves and Reindeer! This is all SO exciting! Right now I am going to go out for a viewing of the Northern Lights which are quite spectacular this evening. Remember to send me your letters to Santa, and I will hand deliver them!

Love, Big Savvy - Polar Dog!

Our Thrilling North Pole Adventure!

We are in the midst of an exciting, post Halloween, pre Christmas Adventure. We decided to go to the North Pole to see Santa Claus. We headed out early, so we will not get there in their total rush season, after Thanksgiving (plus we really got to be home at Turkey Time) because we don't want to get in Santa's way or disrupt all that Elven Toy Building.

(and if they get stressed they might chase us with hammers!)

But by going early, we are going to get in at a good time to hand deliver our Christmas Lists and also take place in some fun activities!

We left about a week ago on the Flying Angel with all of our Friends. There were several planned stops on the way: for example - Samoa wanted to see the Rock and Roll, Football AND Baseball Halls of Fame. We all enjoyed those.

And for a brief Romantic Interlude we all visited Niagara Falls. Plus a short stop over in Buffalo to try the famous wings!

Once over the Canadian Border we paid a flying visit to our little pal Zaidee and took him a gallon of Turkey Hill Ice Cream - Chocolate with Peppermint Sprinkles.

We also attended a special event held in our honor by the Royal Canadian Canine Patrol. Apparently we are considered some sort of diplomatic dignitary because of Demon's status as almost elected president. It was a LOT of fun. Those Canadians look all stiff and formal, but they know how to party! And some of them are continuing on with us now that we are headed further North.

Soon we will have to leave the Flying Angel and travel by sledge. Samoa's connections enabled him to arrange for Grizzly Bear and Polar Bear Sledge Teams to pull us. And of course, we will camp in Deluxe Weather Conqueror Tents so we don't get chilly.

I will try to describe our Day to Day activities for you pups back at home! You can pawmail me your Christmas Lists and I will pass them on to Santa for you!

Love, Big Savvy! (Warm and Happy in the Frozen North!)

Turkey Stew!

Tonight (and last night) I had Turkey Stew for dinner. It has Turkey and brown rice and spinach and celery and carrots. I love it awful much.

Me and the kids just wait for mealtime now! We are so thrilled to be trying different dishes and can't wait to see what is next. Samoa is itching less and has some stubble on his bald spot and I am scratching less!

Mama has also discovered a medicated powder that cools and stops the itching. She has a call in to the vet to get it approved, but things are looking better!

Now if it would just stop raining! Go Away Ida!

Savvy!

My New Chinese Diet!

I went to the vets yesterday for my follow up to the itching crisis I suffered a couple of weeks ago.

She has suggested that my Mama cook for me and that I follow a diet based on Chinese Naturopathy.

Basically this means that some foods are "hot" and some are "cold." Not in temperature, just in their nature, I guess.

I am supposed to eat cold foods whenever possible and that means, Fish, Leafy Greens, NO Chicken, Brown Rice and etc.

NO Chicken! And I was hoping for some Moo Goo Gai Pan!

Savvy. Eating with Chopsticks!

I have to go to the Vets tomorrow.

Only for a follow up visit to check on how I am doing after my treatment for the itchies. I am feeling a lot better, and am having fun playing with Dubs and Samoa again.

Mama is very worried that I will start scratching again, now that the meds are gone. Samoa finished his course of meds and in a short time he was scratching again, but not as bad.

He has worn a hole in his fur right in the middle of his back and Mama has started putting medicated powder on it. It helps with the itching, but makes him look like a Giant Skunk.

I guess that is better than itching, though.

We are wondering how we are supposed to get along if we are going to be plagued with this itching all the time.

Mama says we can't just keep going and going to the vets! We don't want to and she doesn't either. So there must be something that we can do, take, have applied - that will help us if we start again.

So tomorrow she will ask the vet. And hope very much that the vet answers. (We are not seeing our favorite Dr. W., but Dr. L. who is sometimes a little short.)

Will report back.
Love, Savannah!

I'm not cooking today...

I am going to take the day off and lie under the kitchen table. I like to do this. The hoomans made it a little more of a challenge for me by getting a kitchen table with a low support rail between the legs. I can't walk under it and for a while could not figure out how to snuggle down underneath like I always did.

Then I realized that if I crouched and dropped a little I could sort of scoot/roll underneath. It takes a little more effort but it really is a great place to lounge away the day.

I'll probably fall asleep here until Mama gets home. If you need me for anything, just wave some bacon under my nose.

Love, Savvy!

Todays Recipe is Pancakes!

Our little girl, Dublin Rose is one year old today. Or sort of. We don't really know her birthday, but we know it is early November, so we picked today.

She is going to have pancakes for her birthday cake. We all are. Mama and Grandma never eat a whole cake and Mama says she would rather have a big plate of pancakes, so that is dinner tonight. And we get some too.

First you gotta have a great big pan. We have several - I will use Mama's favorite which is a big shiny silver no stick fry pan she just got.

Then we need some batter which you can get by putting some milk and eggs into this box - which already has the pancakes in it. You just have to wake them up by getting them wet.

After you have done that, you need syrup. It is usually in the cabinet right over the stove. First take a big gulp right out of the bottle and then put it aside for later.

Shake the box of milk and sleeping pancakes real hard to mix it and then dump it in the pan. Turn the pan on, but not too high - you don't want to burn anything. Watch it for awhile and then turn the pancake over. Watch it a little while longer.

Put it on a plate and cover it with syrup and butter and get somebody to fix you some bacon to go with.

Eat.

Savannah!