Bring in the Bullies!

The English bulldogs are one of the most popular canine breeds. They have also been widely featured in movies, TV commercials and novels. The most famous English bulldog that I could think of is Gladstone, the pet of the dynamic duo Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

English Bulldogs have always fascinated me. Behind the wrinkled, "I'm the boss" expression and a tough appearance, English bulldogs are actually sweethearts. They can be funny, clumsy and playful. Meet Sampson and Eve for instance - two adorable English bull dogs who are a father and daughter tandem. Whenever they arrive at the Chesapeake City Dog Park, they surely light up the place. Eve will come running happily towards you with her purple ball in tow and will insist that you grab her ball and play. Sampson will just calmly sit by your side, but is always on the lookout for any four-legged friend who would want to get the ball away from his daughter. It's always fun to watch them. In their recent visit to the dog park, I was fortunate to take photos of them as Eve continuously presses her purple ball on me and urging me to play "tug-of-war" with her.

A Place Called "Omak"

Omak is a quiet city in Washington state located at the heart of the Okanogan County. If you plan to travel northwest in the U.S., or just want to escape from busy Seattle, Omak's a city you might want to check out. It is also a two hour drive away from Spokane. 

In August, Omak becomes busy as tourists flock to witness the traditional "Suicide Race," a form of horse race that dates back during the Wild West. It is literally like committing suicide as racers riding their horses plunge down an almost vertical drop. Personally, I am against this type of activity because lots of horses have died or have been injured because of this race. I am glad the race season was over when I visited the place.  

Beyond the Suicide Race, there are great areas to check out in Omak. They have well-kept parks and camping sites to explore and I am thankful that I had the privilege of visiting one of them.

Taking photos of Spudz

I love visiting animal shelters to check out adoptable pets. One of my favorites is the Animal Assistance League, a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter in Chesapeake, VA. The place always impresses me whenever I go there to visit their dogs and cats that are up for adoption. And I can say, they are one of the cleanest animal shelters in Hampton Roads. But the best thing about the place is that when you visit, you can play with their cats or walk the dogs to the play area and interact with them.

Before we had our adorable beagle Comet, my husband and I would often visit the place and take the dogs out for a walk. It was like a "therapy" to me and it would always be a joy to see the dogs get out of their cage and just enjoy the area outside. During one of our visits, we've bonded with one of the adoptable dogs named Spudz, who reminded me of Bolt, from the movie "Bolt." He was a handsome, playful and energetic puppy. I wasn't surprised to know that he got adopted easily. Here are some photos of Spudz:

For more photos of animals in the shelter, please visit my other blog Out of the Shelter.