Spike The Ball! Thirty Day Challenge is One for The Books! #chewyinfluencer

A PROUD Influencer

I did it. I completed for Chewy.com a 30 day challenger EATING Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Wetlands Formula Grain free Formula Dog Food. I gotta say this was NOT a difficult challenge at all. In fact, to call it a "challenge" is inaccurate. Getting me to eat is the EASY part.

To remind you, I was testing the poultry blend (Chicken, Duck and Pheasant) which are all proteins that suit me well. But, there is one SMALL protein that does NOT suit me all too well, PEA protein. And like all good foods these days, Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak utilizes pea proteins in their recipes. It is a great source of protein and in MOST pets (and people) it causes minimum allergic reactions and other kind of reactions. In this PUG PRINCESS, though, it causes a continuance of SMELLY BELCHING. Not as much as the last food I tried, but not a cessation of the event, either.

So taking this fact out of the storyline, how did I do according to the GOALS as set out by Nutrish itself? These are based on the Benefits section of Chewy.com for Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Grain free Dog Food:

 1.   Peak is an easily-digestible animal protein to fuel active muscles
         C+  As I said above, the animal protein is not causing me problems - the vegetable protein is

 2.  Peak natural omegas (Flax seed, fish meals, etc) support a healthy skin and coat
         A   My coat is shiny and I am not too itchy at all
         
3.   Peak contains vitamins and minerals for overall well-being
         A   I feel like a puppy again. I even grabbed a toy the other day and raced through the house                    with it

4.   Peak protein packed formula is satisfying and nourishing
         A   This is hard to tell. I will beg for food if I am hungry or not. But Mommy thinks I walk away                 as IF I am not so hungry. So there's that

Over all, I give this food a B++ because I like it and it, mostly, likes me. And it is a reasonably priced food. There are THREE different formulas of Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Grain free, so there really is something for everyone - Open Range: Beef, Venison, Lamb; Northern Woodlands: Turkey, Duck, Quail; and Wetlands: Chicken, Duck, Pheasant.

** I received one bag of RR Nutrish Peak Grain free Wetlands formula free of charge from Chewy.com. This was sufficient to eat the dog food for every meal for 30 days. I am not paid for my opinions and observations AND all opinions are MY OWN.

When the Picture DOES NOT Tell The Story . . . Wordful Wednesday and Blog Hop

Don't I look pretty miserable in this picture? The truth??? This was taken ON THE WAY home from visiting Auntie B and Fancy. I was exhausted and falling asleep. I had so much fun with Auntie B and Fancy and I was very very happy. I could manipulate this tale and make you feel all sorry for me - but I won't. The truth is a much more exciting story. I have some other photos that DON'T tell the story.

Me gazing lovingly at Mommy #1 during a recent visit. Or AM I? The truth???? I am gazing LONGINGLY at the food going into her mouth. As much as I love my Mommy #1, I admit to WANTING food more. All the time. Every day. Move over Mommy, there's food.

Loving my time in the snow? Well, that was true. I did enjoy my recent trip to the snow. BUT this particular picture, not so much. It was 30 degrees outside at 7 am and I needed to do my bidness. So I asked to go out. BUT my Mommy decided it was time for a nice BRISK walk. I had no coat on - she had an inadequate coat on, no hat and no gloves. But we walked anyhow. When she saw this field of snow (it was a lot smaller than it looks) she decided she HAD to get a photo of me "playing" in the snow. Look deep in my eyes. I am pretty sure I am saying "Take me home now!!!"

Sweetly snuggling in for the night? The truth?? Mommy went to brush her teeth and the last thing she said to me was "Stay off my pillows" and she pointed to the middle of the bed where my blanket was. So I DEFIANTLY snuggled down on top of -not one - not two - BUT THREE of her pillows. Needless to say she was not too happy when she got back to the room. She took this picture as proof of how naughty I can be.

So that's ME, in a nutshell. Not so perfect but ALWAYS cute.

Don't forget today is BLOGPAWS' Blog Hop. Link here to HOP ->  HOP!!!

I'm Walking On Sunshine - and I Don't Mean My Sisteroid, Sunshine The Cat

Saturday was such a beautiful day. It was bright and sunny from the get-go and I loved loved loved being outside. As a special BONUS, Mommy and I went over the hill to Pleasanton and visited Auntie B. Auntie B was PUP-sitting a little yorkie named Fancy. I actually met Fancy a year ago when Auntie B was watching her. We took a long want then. Well, we did the same on Saturday. Not a long walk, per se. . . but a PERFECT one, for sure.

As you can see, we were high strutting it (wink, wink). And I can tell you this 100% true fact, the AIR SMELLED SO SWEET! I thought I'd get a cavity, for sure. There were grass smells, dirt smells, and lotsa flower smells. I kept stopping to SMELL THE ROSES (actually, it was peemail, heehee). Mommy kept tugging me along saying "Noodles, we are never gonna get anywhere if we stop at every blade of grass to sniff!"

We walked toward a park where a lot of children were playing soccer. We said "Hi" to this particularly cute toddler and then went to a KNOLL to sit. Auntie B's and Mommy's intentions were to get some lovely snapshots of Fancy and Me looking all adorable. Well, we were not having it.

Notice we are not actually sitting next to each other

This is the closest to a posed shot Auntie B got

I don't feel too bad about not cooperating. After all, it was not on my list of to-dos for that day. I wanted to SNIFF and EXPLORE. I am pretty sure Fancy felt the same way.

Action shot - Fancy was actually popping UP from a sit

Action shot - Note my back legs ready to SPRING into a run

We sat a little longer to catch our (my) breath and then we started walking again. But before we left the park, Auntie B scored this golden shot

Neither of us are looking at the camera, heehee

After some more strolling down the streets in the neighborhood, we returned back to the house to sniff the backyard while Mommy and Auntie B picked lemons (with the owners' permission). This is their haul

 

Those are Meyer lemons, the sweetest kind.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back over the hill to home. But it was a FUN MORNING and I am always glad when I spend time with Auntie B.

Sunshine-y Corner - Why I like American Journey #chewyinfluencer

Hi. Sunshine here with another addition of DID I LIKE IT OR DID I NOT? That is the game I, and, honestly, most cats, play ALL the time with our humans. Keep 'em guessing as to what you will eat. This tendency is EXACTLY why I love all of the options at Chewy.com. So many kinds of FELINE FOOD that one simply does not get bored.

April meant a new #Chewyinfluencer newsletter and since Noodles (and to some extent Molly) were doing a 30 day challenge for Chewy.com, it meant Jade and I FINALLY had an opportunity to choose something new. . . something exciting. . . something - FOOD. As you know, I am a slightly older kitty and as such it is important that I watch what I am eating. Nothing too rich. . . nothing too spicy . . . nothing with too many artificial ingredients. . .

This is exactly why I chose American Journey Poultry in Gravy Variety Pack Grain Free
Canned Cat Food 3 oz. It was very important that it be grain free as GRAIN is not good for cats, young or old. And being older means I need to be extra careful about grain.

So TWO days after I ordered MY TREAT, the case arrived.

I was pretty excited to crack open that case and try the food. It was nowhere near mealtime, though so I really had no hope of an early dinner to try this food.

I dutifully posed with the case to give my fan base an idea of what the American Journey Poultry in Gravy grain free looked like. Frankly, I don't think you can tell much from a can. Is it just me who thinks this way?

In a final attempt to coerce my HUMAN into letting me at least try a nibble of the food, I decided to SING the praises of American Journey by MEOWING the ingredients and the benefits of the Food-I-Chose. It went something like this

Meow, meowmeowmeow, Meow Meow, meowmeowmeow. . . Meow Meow, meowmeowmeow. . .

Ingredients
Chicken Recipe: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey Broth, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg White, Peas, Dried Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Flaxseed, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Taurine, Potassium Chloride, Cranberries, Blueberries, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Inulin, DL-Methionine, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

Turkey Recipe: Turkey, Turkey Broth, Chicken Broth, Turkey Liver, Dried Egg White, Peas, Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Guar Gum, Flaxseed, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Taurine, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Cranberries, Blueberries, Choline Chloride, Inulin, DL-Methionine, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

Chicken & Turkey Recipe: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey Broth, Chicken Liver, Turkey, Dried Egg White, Peas, Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Guar Gum, Flaxseed, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Sunflower Oil, Cranberries, Blueberries, Choline Chloride, Inulin, DL-Methionine, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

Please note the ABUNDANCE of chicken, turkey, chicken and turkey, chicken broth, turkey broth, chicken and turkey broth, chicken liver, turkey liver, turkey and chicken liver. . .

Then I spoke of the benefits of this FINE FOOD

Mew. Mew. Mew. Mew. Mew.

• Complete and balanced diet with real meat and gravy
• Complete animal proteins, important because cats need high protein diets
• Grain free for easy digestion (and because cats do not need grain)
• Lean meat and omega fatty acid for healthy muscles, skin and coat
• Made in the USA

It worked. She let me TRY it. . . but not before first posing AD NAUSEUM for photos

FELINES! This is some seriously GOOD eats. I got just a nibble for the photo shoot but at dinner time I got a FULL ON SERVING. I cannot express how good this food is. And since there are 3 flavors, there is enough variety for me to stave off food boredom.

I do, I do, I do recommend you visit CHEWY.COM right now - click here (this is linked) - and order some today. You simply will not be disappointed.

Money shot (but no money was offered)

** Chewy.com supplied us with a case of American Journey free of charge so that I may savor this food. I also had enough time to see the benefits or problems that might happen from changing a food. I was not paid for doing this review, for eating the food, and certainly no posing for photos. All opinions re CAT products on A Bowl of Noodles are mine, Sunshine the Cat.

Friday FunTime and Special Kisses n Hugs to MY Donald's Family

I apologize for being absent most of this week. Mommy's fault. Not going to sugarcoat it. So I had a lot to say but no time to say it. As I was going through photos trying to come up with something, I ran across this series of pics. I think they are funny and perfect to lead into the weekend. If you have any caption ideas, send them my way - noodlesthepug@aol.com (noodlesthepug(at)aol(dot)com). The best one gets a prize.

On a more sober note, my FURiend Donald (of Donald and Daisy) unexpectedly crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I know his family - Daisy, Mom Christie, Dad Tim, Gampy and Gammy are heartbroken and so sad. So I want to give them the BIGGEST VIRTUAL HUG in the whole wide world because I LOVE THEM that much. 

ANGEL DONALD, say hi to my BESTIE Payton for me as well.

Wild Wacky Monday and STUFF

A good Monday to you, FURiends. I don't know about you but I am having a DIFFERENT sort of Monday. I mean, Monday is often different and odd and outta sorts. . . but today is particularly so. First of all, Almost everyone was out of the house before I got up. This is unheard of. I am usually #2 to get up and get going. Mommy, not so much, and it takes me a half hour or so to get her out of bed. She HAS to get out of bed by 7AM because she HAS to feed me.

So it was a little strange to have the house so empty. It turns out Cousin C is off to Science Camp and will be GONE for 2.5 days!!! This is gonna be strange. She is ALWAYS here and she ALWAYS spends a lot of cuddle time with me. What am I gonna do when Mommy #2 goes to work tonight? Mommy #1 is off to university and now with Cousin C at camp . . . Oh! I just don't know what I will do.

BUT for now, I found a nice place to hunker down and catch some POST-FOOD zzzzzs. I like to be by the heater vent. It was cold this am and so the heater went on a lot. This makes my ventside bed extra cozy.

Some time later, it got very dark and I started getting a little confused as I thought it was morning but it was dark like night. But a glance out the KITCHEN window showed this - thick black clouds. Darker than they look in this photo. Before I knew it, the wind chimes started chiming A LOT and the wind howled a little. THEN the rain started. Pitter patter, at first and then it was pounding. I heard rumors of hail but I didn't see any.

And if this wasn't bad enough, there was a FLASH of lightning followed by a HUGE boom of thunder. We don't usually get thunder and lightning and when we do it is far away. BUT this was close and LOUD. It unsettled me somewhat.

UNTIL THIS

That's right, folks. To add to the drama we had an EARTHQUAKE. It was small and nothing rattled or even moved out of its place - except me. It was LOUD and it SCARED me outta my BED! It was all rumble rumble rumble followed by a JOLT. A good JOLT. Oh my dog. It was a little too much on the heels of all that THUNDER and LIGHTNING (editor's note: There was only 1 flash and 1 big boom. We did hear some more after it passed us by but they were far away).

That is MORE excitement than I need from a MONDAY. I am crawling under the covers now.

Orange You Glad Chewy.com Supplies Birds? #chewyinfluencer

This is JADE. He (we think) is a PARAKEET of indeterminate age. He has been a member of Casa de Noodles for over 5 years now and we don't know how old he was when he joined us. He was originally part of a DUO - Jade and Pearl. Pearl, of course, was a white Parakeet. She/he sadly passed away a couple of years ago. We thought JADE would be sad and soon follow suit BUT WE WERE WRONG! Apparently Pearl was a BULLY and Jade has kind of blossomed with Pearl out of the picture.

It's hard to know what a bird likes and Mommy tries a lot of little things on Jade to see if he likes them. So far he likes PLAIN seed, PLAIN cuttle bone and PLAIN millet sprays. But Mommy persists and when Chewy.com offered a special treat as part of the April review offerings, she jumped at the chance to treat JADE to something special.

This is what she chose - Brown's Tropical Carnival Natural Orange Slices Bird Treats, 0.7-oz bag. The description says it is good to ALL KINDS of birds so even though there was not a Parakeet on the package photo, she thought WHY NOT? Well, according the JADE, if there isn't a Parakeet on the package, then it isn't Parakeet food. Hmmmmmmm, he's an odd one, that JADE.

I tell ya. . . take a look at these ORANGE SLICES!!! These are what Brown's Tropical Carnival Natural Orange Slices LOOK LIKE. And they smell divine. I honestly think Mommy should TREAT ME with them. I know I'd totally dig them. I'm a fruit kinda PUG. But apparently JADE is NOT a fruit kinda BIRD. What are they MADE OF, you ask? These snacks are 100% REAL oranges that are dried. That is all. No preservatives necessary. No additives needed. They are PACKED with Vitamin C and Fiber and Protein AS IS! So I think JADE is pretty lucky to have them.

This is where the slice was placed on DAY ONE. And this is also where the slice remains today - Almost 2 WEEKS and untouched . . . but smelling lovely. I guess as far as JADE is concerned the orange slice is a good ROOM FRESHENER.

So for JADE, this was NOT a Winner Winner Chicken Dinner. But Mommy tried. Now she needs to find something to do with the rest of the bag. I bet the HUMANE SOCIETY might like the rest. They often have exotic birds in their care. In the meantime, JADE'S cage area smells very very sweet.

** Thank you Chewy.com for sending us one bag of Brown's Tropical Carnival Natural Orange Slices FREE OF CHARGE so we may try them and write a review. As always, we are not PAID to say anything and any opinions expressed in A Bowl Of Noodles are mine alone.

P Is For Protein - Why Dogs NEED It, Why Perhaps I DON'T . . . . . . . . #chewyinfluencer

 BLOG #2 for My Thirty Day Challenge - 

Rachel Ray's Nutrish Peak Grain Free

I'll eat virtually ANYTHING. It is true. This PUG does NOT have a discriminating PALATE. So just because I will eat a food, does not mean the food is GOOD or good FOR ME. That determination comes much later when the RESULTS of eating a certain food becomes known. That is why I loves loves loves the Chewy.com Thirty Day Challenges. They really give me a chance to savor a product AND for the benefits to come shining through.

I have tried various Rachel Ray dog food products - pretty much for as long as there have been Rachel Ray dog food products. They are, for the most part, fine foods. Lately, though, they have become a bit FINER in the choice of ingredients and in the attention to particular problems with certain ingredients. Like chicken, for example. I loves it but my FURiend Tiffy is allergic to it. Or wheat products. I have no issues from eating wheat or soy in my food but my FURiend Pablo cannot handle it at all. So I like that Rachel Ray and especially her Nutrish line of food is paying more attention to these kinds of problems.

This is the food I am eating EXCLUSIVELY for 30 days: Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Grain-free Chicken, Duck and Pheasant dog food.

Since I cannot read, Mommy pores over the ingredient list and reads the customer reviews, etc. She takes care of me. Something that she KNOWS is very very important is how much PROTEIN I need. According to a quick perusal of GOOGLE, a dog needs about 2 grams of high quality animal protein per kilogram of body weight per day. It helps keep the dog in great shape by providing energy and by fortifying the immune system. It also creates hormones and enzymes which are necessary to keep a body, such as a PUG body, functioning properly. The Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Grain-free contains about 30% crude protein, which is pretty decent. Because it is also grain-free, it is an easily digestible food.

Here are the Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Grain-free ingredients - this is the Chicken, Duck & Pheasant Dry Dog Food. I bolded the proteins, underlined the chelated minerals, and italicized the animal proteins

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Dried Peas, Pea Flour, Pea Protein, Whole Dried Potatoes, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Whole Flaxseed, Cranberries, Duck, Pheasant, Pork Flavor, Menhaden Fish Meal, Natural Flavor, Salt, Tapioca, Sweet Potatoes, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

The Peak Grain-free has basically three kinds of protein

Animal PROTEIN - Pork, Pheasant, Phish (I'm playing with you - I needed another P) 
These are proteins dogs, due to their innate need to hunt and eat their prey, automatically gravitate toward. As a rule, these kinds of proteins are easily used by the canine body

PROTEINATE - This is a dietary nutritional source of trace elements. In LayPUG words, this is a handy way to combine minerals to key amino acids and make them (the minerals) more digestible. The amino acids are from the proteins which are combined with IRON, CALCIUM, and ZINC, for example

PEA PROTEIN - a vegetable source for protein. It is easily digestible (more on this below) and high in fiber, amino acids and enzymes. This is the latest source for NON-SOY, NON-WHEAT, and NON-DAIRY vegetarian proteins. It is everywhere these days. WHY? Pea protein is a complete protein. It is especially good for building muscle and for keeping your pet satisfied.

For this little PUG, though, pea protein seems to be a problem. Mommy has called and talked to many food manufacturers about this and they all disagree with her. But she has noticed an increase in my. . . a-hem. . . STINKY BELCHES when I eat foods that rely heavily on PEA PROTEIN, as more and more of them do. So For ME - this is a bit of a negative. I cannot PROVE IT. I cannot SWEAR to it. But I AM observing this to be true. 

That said, the Rachel Ray Nutrish PEAK Grain-free food is not making me BELCH more and MIGHT even be making me belch a little less. Mommy said by 20 days I should know.

Back in My Own BED. . . Actually, It's Mommy's Bed

I like traveling, but I mostly like returning home to MY OWN BED. I cannot explain it, actually. But once I get home and snuggle with Mommy in her bed, I relax and feel so much more like myself.

Mommy was up VERY late the day we returned home. She just was not sleepy after all that packing and driving and going to work. I think she had no down time and so had trouble relaxing enough to sleep.

I had NO PROBLEM. As soon as I got home I settled down on my Star Trek bed and was sawing LOGS for a long time before Mommy decided she absolutely HAD to get to bed. So she picked me up, all groggy and sleepy, and took me to our bedroom. She put me on the bed and told me to LAY DOWN but NOT ON HER PILLOWS.

This is where she found me.

Mommy was not happy.

I was so asleep (or so she THINKS) that she could NOT move me over. And THAT is how I came to dominate the bed. The next morning Mommy was even sleepier.

Three Days Have Flown By . . . Melting Snow Adventures

This is how the front yard at the CHALET looked when we first arrived. There was close to 3 feet along the roadways (with a lot of bare patches, though) and the whole yard was covered with snow. It has been 3 warm days (close to 60 degrees) and the snow has been steadily melting. This is how that same area of the yard looks today

The first day here the kids made an awesome snowman as you can see here. The dug up the snow and made a huge ball. Then they piled more snow on top and a small ball on top of that. Pretty soon they had a pretty respectable looking snowman complete with HAT and SCARF.

Jax was the main architect. Note the snowball
hands with fingers

Well, Mr. Snowman is no more. His hands were the first to go and by yesterday his upper torso was history. This is what he looked like this morning when we went on our walk.

Mr. Snowman is the blob to the left of the tree

Kinda of shocking, huh? I suspect the yard will be largely free of snow by the time we leave tomorrow. The brown patches somehow makes the snow more inviting to me - somehow less COLD. I found this NOT to be true early this morning when I took a potty walk while it was 26 degrees.

This seemed like a good idea at the time. BUT my
tootsies are freezing!

I guess even though we are in snow country, there really are signs of Spring arriving. Not a lot of flowers yet. And the only green grass is the pretend grass

But I can smell the change in the air and I am pretty certain that the next time I travel this was it will look all green and flowery.

There's Snow Everywhere

To celebrate SPRING, the family decided to take a trip to Lake Tahoe to enjoy the snow. It makes no sense to me, either. BUT, I have been to the Chalet before and I loves loves loves it there. So fairly early in the morning, Mommy, me, Molly, Cousin C and Aunt B left for the high country. It was a warm morning and we HOPED there would still be snow when we got to Tahoe.

First we stopped at Auntie B's house cuz it is on the way. I wanted to say Happy Easter to her and Max.

Max

Then we drove and drove and drove and drove (each "drove" represents an hour) AND then we finally pulled into the drive. I was very happy to get out of the car and explore the new digs. We were joined by Auntie S and two of her five kids. I like them because they are nice to me.

What's that grimy white stuff Mommy?

The Chalet is so nice and has a lot of space. And the snow is pretty although very very cold. We have to take walks to do our bidness so we get a lot of fresh air walks. A lot. Once in a while I test the snow to see if it is still cold. Molly doesn't. She doesn't want to walk much, either. She is happy to stay indoors all of the time and not get her tootsies wet.

The kids built a snow man out in front and it was really big! In fact, it is still standing. The kids spent a lot of time outside. In fact, most of the day. The Mommys all spent the afternoon unpacking and preparing lunch and then dinner. They were tired after the long drive.

Our last walk was just before the sun set (too dangerous for little pups to be out after sundown - coyotes are around. You never know when they will wander into a populated space. And then, there are bears, too.

The next day, Easter, we went sledding.