Journeys

I start today's post on a somber note, as we just learned that a good blogging furiend has finished his journey in this world.  

MAX was freed to cross the Rainbow Bridge earlier today, and we have no doubt he bounded joyfully across it, whilst casting a reassuring smile back over his shoulder to thank his family for such a great life!  MAX was a wise dog who recently taught us all what it really meant to enjoy every moment.  Hugs & Frenchie kisses to his family, it's never easy to say goodby to a friend no matter how long you have to prepare.  Godspeed, dear MAX

So many furiends and bloggers seem to have lost members of their packs lately.  I'd like to share with you all a lovely quote by Irving Townsend, one that comforted me last fall when I had to let my old terrier Duncan slip away.  

We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan.

So go out there and make as many memories as you can with your family, both human & furry! With that in mind, I turn the rest of the post over to Brutus, who is just bursting to tell more about the hints we left in our last post.

Hidey Ho there!  Mom was all leaky after reading about our furiend MAX, so I dried off the keyboard & offered to finish up the post on a lighter note.  I'm just that kinda guy...

Thanks to everyone who played along with the little game in our last post - there was everything from totally correct answers to totally off-the-wall ones.  We're too sly to let all the Frenchies (ahem) cats out of the bag at once, but here are most of the answers.

If you didn't guess it from the items surrounding my stunning, shiny self in the photo above, we are ready to head off on another Earlventure!  Big Earl is getting all gussied up and ready for his longest treck to date, and of course Mason & I get to go along for the ride!

Can you see that book right in front of my nose?  Its full of all kinds of cool places mom says we'll get to see out West - Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole, Badlands National Park, even Mount Rushmore!  How many Frenchies have gotten to see all that??  I am gonna be one well-traveled frog, this should be quite the journey!

The other thing we hinted at that falls into the "journey" category included a photo of one of my Flat selves in front of a nifty sign.  Here's a clearer version:

I was so excited to hear that I get to go with mom to Wisconsin this fall for the National Specialty!  There will be (as Frankie would say) like 87 million Frenchies there!  And as our pal Mayzie so astutely pointed out, hopefully lots of CHEESE too!!  

Actually this sort of goes along with the photo of Flat Brutus jumping through a tire, because I get to compete in the first agility event ever offered at the specialty!  Do you think the French Bulldog Club heard I was good at agility & decided they just must include an event that can showcase my brilliance? Mom says I'm also getting entered in Rally and (gasp!) obedience, so there'd better be a whole lot of cheese like the sign says!!

So that's all I'm tellin' for now.  Sorry to leave ya hanging on the last item from the quiz, but mom won't let me tell just yet.  Frankly, I'm still a bit confused about it myself, so when I figure out what else mom is up to, I'll slip you some more hints!  For now, I'm off to make sure mom packs all my favorite toys and collars for the trip.  I wonder if they'll let me drive this time...

10-4, Good buddies!  Brutus over & out!