Barn Update and Lab Attack

SPECIAL NOTE TO MANGO MINSTER WINNERS! We finally mailed out your prizes. We only got prizes for first place and reader's choice winners because Mean Momma said prizes for 2nd and 3rd place winners would have to come out of my kibbles allowance. Hey, a guy has to eat!

It has come to my attention that some of my pals out west of 495 were thinking that the fire chief in the fire movie was speaking in some strange and foreign language. Now I will mention that Momma found the firefighter and police peoples Boston accents quite comforting, but for the rest of you, here is an ACTUAL TRANSCRIPT of what the nice fire chief said.

"When I heard there was a fiyuh at Mango's Estate, I had four fiyuh trucks and sixteen fiyuhfightahs and a choppah there in five minutes. Our first priahity was to make sure Mango and Pee-Wee were OK. Once we knew the boys were good, we set to containing the fiyuh in the bahn. It was wicked hot. We got a neighbuh to comfort Mango Mastah and sent anothah neighbuh to get some Dunkin' Donuts. We drew stawers to see who would be stuck with, I mean talk, to the Dotty Old Hen. Just anothah day in the Framingham fiyuh dapahtment."

Here is a picture of our barn during happier times.And here it is now...

The insurance peoples boarded it up and put this sign on it. We have to wait for them to shift through the debris before we can rebuild.

In the meantime, Momma and Master are starting to make a list of all the stuff that was inside. Here is what is left of Master's 90 drawer cabinet (which got tossed out the window) that contained 1000's of fasteners, drawer pulls, hinges, and other stuffs. It will be a long list.

Master was given permission to remove his flooglehorn which seemed to have survived OK.

I, Mango, have started cleaning up the debris around the perimeter.

But its hard work and there is only one Mango.

Pee-Wee is not nearly as industrious as I. I instructed him to get to work and not be such a baby.

This was his response.

Annoying little critter.

He has developed an irritating habit of aerial assaults on my Mango-ness.

When faced with such total labradorkiness, I am forced to retire to my special place...

Finally, I MUST share this with you. That Lacie Beast recently returned from a trip abroad with Petey. I have to hand it to Petey, he finally found a use for that screeching little monster. I can just hear the strains of Amazing Grace issuing from her Lakie jaws.

Photo by Petey

Perhaps Master can do some duets with her on his flooglehorn.

Mango Man! Oh yeah!

P.S. Momma said I can spend time catching up with my pals this weekend. Well, I certainly hope so.

Mango Confessions

My goodness things have certainly been hopping at the estate! We had sooooo many visitors today and I had to greet them all. Grandma and Grandpa came by, and lots of Master's friends as well. We also had another visit from the fire marshal, the insurance guy, and some nice men who put boards on our barn. I am beat!

Momma found these little packages of Pumpkin treats at the doggie store and suggested I include them in the Mango Minster prize packages (which Momma says she will try to mail tomorrow).

Naturally before I did so I had to taste test to make sure they were Mango approved. I was a bit reluctant since I was not sure exactly what part of Pumpkin they contained (and she's such a little thing, I'm not sure how she made enough treats to fill all those bags).
So I suggested to Pee-Wee that he might want to have one first...

When he didn't pass out or anything, I agreed to let a couple slide down my large and welcoming gullet. YUMMERS!
A while back, my friend, Suzuki, gave me the honesty challenge in which you need to reveal at least ten things about yourself. I think most of my friends have taken this already, but if you haven't, pick up the picture and give it a go.
1) Every night about 10 minutes after Momma and Master go to bed, I do a night patrol of the house to make sure things are all buttoned up.

2) Momma worries that there will be "too much Mango" As if! And so she pinches me a lot to determine if I need more or (usually) less kibbles.
3) If ANYTHING happens that makes me grouchy (like getting my ears cleaned, or having somebody bump me when I am meditating) I take it out on Pee-Wee if he is handy. Just a head butt, but I suppose it isn't fair.

4) I prefer small toys that I can fit entirely in my large and slimy mouth. Given my tendency to swallow things whole, this leads to many of my favorite toys only been enjoyed under snoopervision.
5) I am OK with the peoples piling things on me whilst I meditate if that's how they get their jollies.
6) I respect the force fields at the estate, such as the one preventing my hiney from entering in the peoples sleepy place (note pointed little labrahead indicating that certain Pee-Wee doggies DO NOT respect the force fields when they think walkies are about to happen).
7) I talk in my sleep... a lot. I howl and moan and growl and make all sorts of sounds that rattle the windows.

8) I am not a good watch dog, but am a very good guard dog once junior wakes me up.

9) I actually enjoy dressing up, but its so hard to find things in husky sizes.
10) I am not as fastidious as I might be about my toilet which results in getting my bum wiped (which makes me grouchy).
Mango Man! Oh yeah!

P.S. Momma says to tell you that I might not be visiting your bloggies as often as usual for a while because she is running out of bandwidth or something like that. Sigh...

Aftermath

Well, we made the front page of the local paper which is not a good thing because peoples are all driving by and stopping and saying, "oh look at that!" Get away!

Its probably best that Momma was at work because the pictures from the paper are kind of scary.

Its like a movie fire, huh? Momma had to be escorted up the driveway by one of the firefighters when she got home because she was all dorked out. I think she was hoping for Denis Leary, but she said the local guy was just as nice.

Once I ascertained that the house was OK, I set about assigning Pee-Wee and myself to guard duty to make sure nobody got in. A nice policeman did come in to meet me (guess he couldn't resist the opportunity of being at the actual Mango estate).

The news paper even posted a movie...


You can see here that the barn is close to the garage and house, so we are lucky that nothing else was damaged.
Master is very sad because he lovingly built the barn himself with the help of a couple of his friends and my brother, Jake. He had it all tricked out like a woodworker's dream come true, but its all gone now. The fire marshals stayed for over four hours, but they still can't figure out how it started.

See the burned up box on the bench? That was our new TV cabinet which he had just finished. It used to be very pretty, but I don't think it will match our living room decor anymore.
I let Momma practice piling shoes on me. It made her smile.


On a happier note, the Mango Minster prizes arrived, so now we just have to get to the post office. We'll let you know when they are in the mail.

Mango Man! Oh yeah!

P.S. Thanks to my pals who pee-mailed me directly because blogger was eating their comments yesterday. Hope its better now.

We're OK, but our Barn Isn't

Mango Momma here...

Our barn burned while we were both at work today. I am a little shaken but I can't really be too upset because the house is OK and the dogs are fine which is what really matters. Fortunately a neighbor saw the fire and called the fire department. I don't know if the structure is OK or not, but my husband's workshop (i.e. his tools and everything) is gone. Note to mention the beautiful cabinet he just finished for our new 46" TV. I'll have more pictures tomorrow, but for tonight we're just waiting for the fire marshals to leave. Here's my Mango trying to cheer me up with his St. Patrick's day outfit.


Mango here: Yeah, lots of excitement and lights and guys all in my yard, but Pee-Wee and I were safe and sound in the house. We'll have lots to sniff tomorrow!

Dexter Day - Denied!

Today is supposed to be Dexter day, right? But noooooo, my day was wrecked by the Relentlessly Huge Beastie. He is the most pathetic, manipulative creature that ever walked the face of the earth. To start with, he's still milking Momma for sympathy over his dumb decapitated Santa stuffie by making sad face about having to play with the stuffies that we have left.
Then he starts telling me about his plan for getting ALL the attention today...

He said he was going to go into the dog cave and cry and cry until Momma paid attention to him and I better stay in the kitchen if I knew what was good for me.

I tried to protest that it was Sunday, which means its Dexter day, but he told me NO WAY!

He even pinched my cheeks until I promised to stay in the kitchen while he was up to his evil deeds. I had to acquiesce, I mean he could squish me if he wanted to.

Once he got me to say "uncle" he went into the dog cave all bold as can be and hid his head under the table and cried and stupid Momma fell for it!
Look at him getting all smoochie face love! What a piggie.

Yeah, he's pretty pleased with himself. So much for Dexter day I guess.

In an act of defiance, I made myself at home on my couch even though the anti-lab blankets were in the washing machine. There! Take that!



Dexter done!

Paws Crossed for Bogart's Dad

Pee-Wee and I are working hard on our synchronized crossed paws for Bogart's dad. I think the more perfectly we can get aligned, the stronger the vibes.

Since my most stupendous nomination for the Dogs with Blogs Awesome Blog award, I have been getting some first time visitors. I've been a bit preoccupied lately, but you can click on the Mango Minster picture in the sidebar to re-live the recent excitement.

SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL MANGO MINSTER Reader's Choice, and Group winners!

You should have your certificates, so if you didn't get one, let me know (or if I made a boo boo on yours, well, except for Boo Boo's, which actually should have a Boo Boo, and, oh never mind).
Mango Man!
Oh yeah!

Chewing Ice

Please continue to keep Bogart's dad in your thoughts and prayers! Bogart got to visit him today!




Yes, that is MY bottom on the header. And why not? This is the ALL DEXTER NETWORK for now.

Besides, the Relentlessly Huge Beast is sulking...

Why? Because Momma You Thin Iced his beloved decapitated Santa stuffie!
Leaving him to take possession of the heretofore neutral road kill squirrel.
I immediately put my Hump Piggie into protective custody. After all, I should get to have at least ONE toy around here.
But I thought he could use some cheering up.

I tried to get him going with a game of football...
Perhaps some soccer?
But he was having none of it. "Oh where is my Decapitated Santa?" He moaned.
My final attempt to engage him...
Look, Mango, there is ICE in our water bowl!

That seemed to do the trick!



I even got some ice cubes for myself out of it.
Nom, nom, nom...
But the fun came to a sudden end when the simple creature inadvertently inverted the bowl.
Sigh... one does try.


Dexter done!