Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows

Mama just returned from the Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows.  She said it was a lot of fun.  She met a lot of dogs, including greyhounds!   It was a huge show.  There was a lot of shopping.  She didn't buy anything though.  Can you believe that?   She planned on buying some things from the GPA of  Houston.  That is the rescue group that we bought my Thera Paw boot from. They were there, but they were not selling anything.  Dad didn't see any of the rescue groups selling things.  They gave away some things.  Mama talked to a lady from GPA about my corn and she recommended a few more things to try.  Yep, it is still there.  It is really not coming to the surface.  I guess that should be discussed in another post sometime.

There were a lot of people that brought their dogs, but Mama said we wouldn't have liked it.  I would have been whining at every dog and trying to mark things.  Scout would have gotten tired and probably just laid in the aisle.  They said a lot of dogs that had accidents.  Some of the show dogs even had accidents in the rings. 

Mama said they went through rows and rows of vendors.  There was a lot of  neat things, but nothing that she wanted.

Granite dog food dishes. Nope, she didn't buy us one.

Exercise equipment - so glad she didn't this for us.

The greyhound group.

A greyhound collecting money and the GPA-Houston's mascot.

More greyhounds!

A Great Dane hoping for a bite of food.

This Cocker Spaniel has cancer.  She has a bucket list.  She has appeared on the news and threw out the first pitch had a baseball game.  She has done a lot of things, but Mama can't remember them all.

The show also had a dancing dog competition.

Dog dancing with his Mom.

There was agility.

Mama said she could have watched the agility all day long.

There was flyball and also a pulling competition.

They walked around and saw the dogs getting ready for the dog show.  Mama said it definitely takes a lot of work.  She didn't take photos because she didn't know if the owners wanted that to happen. If the dogs were not getting their hair fixed, they were kind of hidden.  They probably just wanted to be left alone so that they could rest.

There were only two greyhounds that competed today in the dog show.  The dog show was a lot different than on TV. There were not any announcements.  In fact, Mama couldn't hear a thing.  It is like it was done in silence.  She is not even sure who won between the greyhounds.

The folks thought the brindle was very handsome.
 
They watched some of the other dogs being shown. They noticed that one judge seemed pretty bored and didn't even watch the dogs walk around. It is definitely different than the shows on TV.

This is where the dog show was held.

Astrodome is across from the dog show. There is talk that it will face the wrecking ball.

We got treats from the show!

Lots of free samples of dog food.  Dad said we can eat them as treats.

Open them!

After the show, the folks drove to a restaurant that they wanted to try from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network.  There was a line to get in and they couldn't find a parking spot, so they gave up. The place closes at 3 p.m. and is not open on Sundays. They will not be eating there on this trip.  Mama was disappointed.

The buffet where they ate.

They ended up eating at China Stat.  Mama said it was good.  The food was not labeled very well, so she didn't know what had seafood in it for sure.  She ate a lot of chicken.  The place was packed at 1.30 p.m.  It was $9.95 a person.

There is still one more restaurant that the folks plan on trying this weekend.  Our time in Houston is almost over.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Preparing For His Gotcha Day On Monday

Bully Sticks Are Here!

We haven't been chewing our bully sticks as much since we have been living on the road, but recently we took an interest in them again.  Mama decided to place an order for us while we still have a good shipping address.  They arrived yesterday. We were excited!

Oh, boy!

Open it before my eyes pop out!

Yep, smells like bully sticks!

Yum!

Yummy!

On our way to the fire house.

See the red sign?  That's the Jack In The Box that Mama walks to for lunch sometimes.  There is still standing water.

These are probably the best pictures we will get of the ducklings.

Another view of Goldie.

Hi Mom!  Have you been looking at the ducks again?

Mama made tortilla pizzas last night, but she forgot to take photos. The pizzas did not have a sauce. They had a layer of  Monterey Jack cheese, diced tomatoes, Canadian bacon and then another layer of cheese.  She placed olive oil in the electric skillet and coated the tortilla and fried it on both sides and they added the toppings.  She covered the skillet until the cheese melted.  She thought they were pretty good.

Dad has made our reservations for our next trip. We will stay somewhere in Louisiana on Friday night. It will take us probably 7 or more hours. Dad has to work half a day on Friday.  The next night we will stop in South Carolina and finally, Sunday night we will be in Washington DC.  It's a very long trip.  We are excited about continuing our adventure, but not looking forward to the long drive. 

Tomorrow is the dog show.  Mama is excited about going.  They have a lot of vendors and demonstrations, so it is more than just a dog show.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Needs To Catch Up On His Sleep Since He Lost Some Yesterday Due To Bully Sticks Chewing.

I've Been Dremeled!

Mama dremels Scout's nails, but I have always said "NO WAY!"   I freaked out when that thing was brought near me.  This morning, we went on a long walk and Mama told Scout that she was going to do her nails when we got back and she would get some chicken as a treat. Scout doesn't mind the dremel.  So, Mama did Scout's nails and I was laying on my bed watching.  Mama brought the dremel over to me and let me sniff it.  She touched my nail to it and I didn't freak out.  She then turned it on and she quickly did all my nails.  I DID IT!  It didn't hurt. It just felt a little strange.  Mama has been trimming my nails a few times a week with clippers.  My nails are really thick, so she just trims a little at a time and then files them.  I don't mind her doing that, but she is worried she will hurt me.  After she dremeled me, she praised me and hugged me.  She was so excited. Scout and I got some leftover chicken as a treat. Yum!  Will I let her use the dremel again?  Stay tuned to see.

This is the Dremel that got me today.

Mama made a breakfast this morning that she thought you might like.  She saw it on a cooking show and can't remember the name of it.

Take a slice of bread and cut a hole in the middle.  Mama uses a glass to cut the hole. Melt butter in a skillet and coat the bread with the butter on both sides Also, coat the piece of bread that you cut out with butter.  Brown the bread in the skillet and add an egg to the hole and fry that like you fry any egg.  Flip it over to brown the other side.  It's that simple.  We had leftover ham from dinner last night, so it became part of the breakfast this morning.

Scout has started laying on the couch.  Here she is watching Mama put the laundry away this morning.

Our rain chances are only 30% today. The ground is still very wet.  We didn't get rain here yesterday, but other parts of Houston did.  We are heating back up to the 90's since it is no longer raining.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Made His Mama Very Happy Today

Wet Feet Equals Wet Boot

The ground is still a sloppy mess here.  Water continues to just stand on the ground.  Mama says she is tired of  her socks getting wet when she walks us.  I don't mind my feet getting wet, but it feels strange to have my foot in a wet boot.

Yesterday, we had a bad storm.  There were 490 lightning strikes in just a half hour.  According to the news, four houses caught on fire due to the lightning.  Mama couldn't believe that a man in our park was fishing during the storm.  He definitely doesn't have his head on straight.  Two people died in Houston on Sunday due to being struck by lightning. 

The park manager came by yesterday afternoon and told us we were getting a new neighbor.  We haven't had a neighbor on our right side the entire time we have been here.  We thought maybe they couldn't put anyone next to the propane tank, but the manager said it is because no one wants just a 30 amp site.  She told us the guy had his motor home in storage and plans to rehab it. She said we might hear some hammering noises.   He dropped it off last night and then left. He may not be living in it for a while.

Our view before our neighbor.

We really only see the neighbor's motor home when we go outside.  We rarely look out the kitchen window.  We have been lucky not to have a neighbor for so long.  It definitely will not be like that in other parks.

Mama has been busy making dish cloths and pot holders. 

She actually used the one in the middle and washed it.  It didn't fall apart.  Victory!

This one turned out a little big.  It is her first attempt with a "fancy" border.   She needs practice.  It doesn't seem that practical for a dish cloth.

Most of what she has made.

She likes this one because it matches the RV colors.  It is a pot holder. It is made with half double stitch.  The back is dark brown.

Last night, she made Chicken and Rice Taco Fiesta. 

1 boneless chicken breast, cut in small pieces
(1 T olive oil)
14 oz can chicken broth, 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
15 oz can corn, drained
1½ c uncooked minute rice
¼ to ½ bag tortilla chips
Sour cream

In large saucepan, sauté chicken pieces in oil until barely done. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, taco seasoning; bring to boil; simmer covered 5 min. Add corn and rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 min. Fluff and serve on crunched tortilla chips. Top with sour cream.

The green sauce is that green salsa she bought at H.E.B.   She thought it was good.  Dad didn't comment, but he ate it all.

This is us this morning.  Really, it is not just another photo taken yesterday when we were sleeping.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Happy That The Space Bar Is Working Better On the Laptop

More Snakes!

It is a beautiful morning here in Houston. The temps are cool and the humidity is low. Mama, Scout and I went for a leisurely walk. We walked down to the fire house. There was a huge snake in the road.  We approached it slowly and found it to be dead. We believe it was a Texas Rat Snake - non-poisonous.  There was also a dead snake on the road Sunday. We showed it to Dad and he said it was also non-poisonous. Maybe all this wet weather is causing the snakes to try and seek dry places, but the road is not a good place for them.

The ducklings have moved to the little lake now. Our lake is basically vacant now as all the adult ducks seem to want to be near the ducklings.

Still can't get a good picture of the ducklings

Pretty view from our window.

 Yesterday was the first day in 10 days that we did not have rain. However, the rain was close by. We heard thunder and the radar showed we would be getting rain. It just never made it here.  We noticed two windows leaking during the heavy rains last week. Sunday, we had a leak behind our TV. Yikes!   Dad thinks he found the cause after a roof inspection. We hope it is fixed now.

Dad is on top of the RV. He is checking for leaks.

Mama changed her routine and did laundry yesterday afternoon. She is not sure she will do that again because it was hot walking back and forth from the laundry room.  She didn't want to stay there because the air conditioning is broke in the laundry room.  It broke last week. They have fans turned on in the laundry room, but it is still very hot inside.

Have you seen the new item Pizza Hut has? It is garlic bread pizza!  Mama saw it yesterday and started drooling over it. She told Dad that it would be easy enough to make, but she really does love their garlic bread so theirs "might" be better. She checked out the Pizza Hut website and they deliver here.  We have been here almost three months and didn't know they delivered. However, their minimum delivery order is $10, so she will have to order a soda or something if we decide to do that for lunch. She has chili cheese dogs for lunch today, so maybe tomorrow.

Last night, Mama fixed Summer Saute'.   She really liked it and Dad did, too.  She thought the zucchini was seasoned perfectly.  She added buttered noodles because she felt it needed something more.

1 kielbasa sausage, sliced
(2 T butter, ¼ t oregano, ½ t garlic salt,
salt/pepper)
1 zucchini, sliced & quartered
2 T onion, chopped

In a large non-stick skillet, sauté sausage. Remove then add & melt butter. Sauté zucchini, onion, oregano, garlic salt, salt & pepper. Cook until zucchini is crisp-tender.  Return sausage to the skillet and heat all.

Summer Saute'  - Mama added Parmesan Cheese to both the sausage and the noodles.

Scout and I napping yesterday.  We don't keep a neat bed.

Bunny asked if we are going to the dog show. We are not sure if outside dogs are allowed. Mama wouldn't take us anyway. Mama says I would be overly stimulated.  We know the greyhound group from here we will be there. We will get to do things when we get to Cleveland. There is a national park there and Scout and I will get to go there.  We are excited!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Wishes The Space Bar On This Keyboard Worked Better

A Weekend Of Re-Visits

This was the first weekend that the folks didn't go sightseeing.  It was a cloudy and rainy weekend. We have had rain for the past ten days. Dad decided to wax the RV in between the rain. Well, he waxed one side of it.  Mama went shopping. She shopped at Joanne's Fabric and Crafts. She bought more yarn for dish clothes and hot pads. How may do we need? LOL  She also visited Petco, Petsmart and the grocery store, H.E.B.  She bought that green salsa she has been wanting to try. She is not impressed. Actually, she said she has had a dry mouth since she ate it on chips and that was two days ago. It is HOT!  She likes it on breakfast burritos though.

The folks decided to re-visit their favorite restaurants here. Saturday night, they ate at Sawgrass Steak House.   Mama ordered the same thing she ordered the last time and she didn't think it was as good. She now thinks if you think something is the best you have ever had, maybe you shouldn't go back.

Inside Sawgrass Steak House

Breaded Mushrooms - a little overdone

Rib Eye with garlic butter and Loaded Baked Potatoe

We tasted the Rib Eye and we thought it was excellent. We think Mama is a little nuts. Dad thought his was just as good as the first time.

Yesterday, they decided to go back Pappasito's Catina.  This is the Mexican place that Dad thinks is the best they have had in Houston.  Mama loved their green salsa the first time, but this time, she didn't like it. They serve their red salsa warm. She liked that one.

Salsas and Chips

Pappasito’s Famous Burrito
with sour cream & chipotle sauce - the sour cream is the white on the burrito

Dad's plate - not sure what it is . It's a combination. Mama had to snap the photo quick because it embarrasses Dad to have photos of his food taken.

Mama's burrito had steak and beans in it. Mama said the steak was awesome!   How does this compare to Los Cucos that Mama decided last week was the best Mexican place in Houston?  Mama says it is really hard for her to decide. Papa's is definitely more expensive. Papa's was almost $20 for her meal. Los Cucos was $13. Papas probably was the best, but Los Cucos is a very close second.

This is the covered outside sitting area at Pappa's. It stormed while they were there, so it's a good thing no one was sitting there since it all got wet.

Last night, they decided to try Wings N More. It is a sports bar. They decided to start out with an appetizer.  It was not breaded mushrooms. Can you believe that? It was fried pickles. Mama had fried pickles years ago at a place call Hatfields And McCoys.  They served everything fried.  It was back when she could eat shrimp and she had good memories of it. 

Fried Pickles

Mama said the pickles were different, but she wouldn't order them again.

The both ordered the combo plate which had hot wings and tenders. Mama had slaw.  Dad had potato salad.  Mama's slaw was a little dry. Dad said the potato salad was very good.  Mama liked the wings. They were fried and then dipped in hot sauce. The tenders were good. She chose honey mustard and chipotle ranch as her dipping sauces. They did not bring us any leftovers.

This weekend is the dog show. The folks already have their meals planned out.  LOL  They are going back to the place that they saw on Food Network, but was closed when they arrived.  It is on the way to the dog show. Sunday, they will try out Crabby Daddy's. The reviews are not very good, but Dad said they have been other places that didn't have the best reviews and it ended up being good.

Oh, my goodness!  There is so much to do in Cleveland. Mama already has our weekends planned. We will tell you more about that later.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Approaching His First Gotcha Day!