We LOVE Our Green Bay Packers

I am participating in Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta, sponsored by Carrie at Candid Carrie.

The "Frozen Tundra" on a nice day!

The players riding kid's bikes to practice, from the locker room.



St. Vincent. His friend, the nun, sports an official cheese bra. All donations for photo ops go to the American Cancer Society.






Donald Driver executing a perfect Lambeau Leap. Watch those hands, ladies!

The Bikini Girls, of Maxim magazine fame . Is it HOT in here?

And the winners of the Great Poprs Giveaway, where you suggested a name for a Leader Dog puppy, are Tortuga and Freegal1000. Tortuga suggested Clara, and freegal, Gracie. Kristi, who will raise the puppy for her first year, won't be able to say definitively until she actually meets the pup. So they both win 5 multipacks of Poprs. The rest of you who suggested names will receive one multipack. Thanks for playing!

Last Day to Name the Puppy and Win!

This is the last day to enter the Great Poprs Giveaway...name this special puppy and win! She will be a Leader Dog for the Blind, and give someone the gift of independence and mobility.

Winner will be announced Friday, so this is your last shot.

The winner will receive FIVE multipacks of Poprs, one each of color changing, rainbow, cinnamon, butter and strawberry. Each multipack contains 10 pouches of magic crystals, to sprinkle on good food to make it great! All who suggest a name will receive one multipack, so everyone is a winner.

Remember, this is a female puppy. She is German Shepherd and Labrador. And she has a very important job to do. Be creative, and have fun.

Name the Puppy Great New Poprs Giveway

Yesterday, I talked at length about the Leader Dogs for the Blind program, and the part you can play in naming a Future Leader Dog puppy.

My great friend, Kristi, has raised eight previous puppies (not 9 as was previously reported!).

These are the names they were given:

Moses, Daisy, Vince, Odin, Liise, Ingrid, Scout, and Abby

Moses is my favorite, maybe because he did not go on to complete the program, because of a slight hip problem, and he is lying at my feet as I write this! It is also the name of a great leader!

Odin, Liise and Ingrid are Norwegian names. Kristi is a proud Scandinavian.

Vince was named after Vince Lombardi, another great leader. It was fun to give the puppy a name that also reflected the state in which he was raised. This pup was a black lab, with a big head. Vince fit him to a T. And I think he wound up with a man, so it was perfect.

Anyway, you get the drift. Come up with a name for the next puppy. Think of great leaders, Wisconsin or any other tie-in you like. The puppy will be a female, German Shepherd/Lab mix.

The contest will run through Thursday, September 24th. The winner will be announced Friday, September 25th. Kristi will choose the winner herself, and the name will be put on all of the official documents, and will be the name this dog will learn as she is growing in her Leader Dog skills. Her eventual owner will be introduced to her with the name you choose. HAVE FUN!

All entries will receive a 10 pack of Poprs, and the winner will receive one 10 pack each of all five flavors! This is the introduction of FOUR NEW POPRS FLAVORS. Uncle Lynn is anxious to hear what you think about them. As of this week, all five flavors are available at Festival Foods.
Learn more at http://www.poprs.com/.



The varieties of Poprs are:

*Color changing, for yogurt
*Cinnamon, for applesauce
*Rainbow, for cupcakes
*Butter, for veggies
*Strawberry, for ice cream

Have fun with this one! Only one entry per person, please. Check back to see the names that have been suggested so far, and next Friday, to see if you are the WINNER. Good Luck.

Wordful Wednesday: Destined to Lead

I am participating in Wordful Wednesday, sponsored by Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

Founded by three Detroit area Lions Clubs members in 1939, Leader Dogs for the Blind provides dog guides to people who are blind and visually impaired to enhance their mobility, independence and quality of life.

Leader dogs are raised by volunteer puppy raisers. Leader Dogs could not be provided without the assistance of volunteer puppy raisers.

There are nearly 400 puppy raisers in 22 states and Canada. Puppy raisers travel to Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester, Michigan, to pick up and return their puppies.

Seventy percent of puppy raisers raise more than one puppy in their lifetime.
Puppy raisers receive their puppies at 7 to 8 weeks of age and return them to Leader Dogs for the Blind between 12 and 15 months of age.

Puppy raisers teach puppies basic obedience, house manners and good etiquette while exposing the puppies to all types of environments, such as:

• Churches, stores, amusement parks, sporting events
• Different types of people
• Different types of floors and stairs
• Different sorts of animals, including squirrels, cats, birds, dogs and farm animals
• Loud sirens
• Busy sidewalks and bicycles.

Some puppy raisers are able to take their puppy to work with them . Puppy raisers are responsible for meeting at least monthly with their puppy counselor. Volunteer puppy counselors are regionally placed. Counselors organize obedience lessons and exposure opportunities for the puppies.

Puppies who see and experience a large variety of environments during the first year of their lives will be more confident when exposed to future experiences .
Raisers provide health care, food and necessary supplies for the puppies.

Raisers have the privilege of naming the puppies.

Puppy raisers follow very specific guidelines, such as:

• When puppies are in public wearing their “Future Leader Dog” bandannas or jackets, they are expected to be clean and well mannered.
• Puppies will be taught to stay off furniture .
• Puppies are expected to lay quietly at meal time and not beg.

Each month, approximately 30, 1-year-old puppies are returned to Leader Dogs for the Blind to begin formal training .

My friend, Kristi, has raised 9 puppies to date. They have all been Yellow Labs up to this point.

Moses, the love of our lives, was her first. He went everywhere with her, restaurants, church, the grocery store. No place is off limits to Future Leader Dogs. Anywhere a blind person would be welcome, these puppies are welcome.

After a year with Kristi, Moses was returned to start training, and Kristi took another puppy home. Not long after, she got a call. One hip was not perfect, and did she want him back? That was easy! So I picked him up part way home, and drove him the rest of the way to her house. Two of my boys rode along, and fell in love. How could you not? But Kristi had plans for him. We bid a tearful goodbye, and I whispered "If your plans fall through, call us." And that's what happened.

Kristi is devoted to raising these wonderful dogs, and giving them a terrific head start for the life they are going to lead. This German Shepherd/Lab mix will be her tenth! Moses was a "Career Change", one is undergoing training now, and 7 have been placed as Leader Dogs.

Which brings us to the puppy at hand.

Your task, privilege, is to come up with a name for this puppy. She will be picked up in Rochester, Michigan on October 3. The name will be decided before then, so that it can be put on the formal documents. (Once she has the puppy home, I'll be able to publish a photo of the actual puppy you have named. The one that has appeared so far is a photo furnished by Leader Dog of a former Shepherd pup).

Tomorrow, check back for names Kristi used for previous puppies. And I'll have info on the prize for this new Great Poprs Giveaway, too!

This Little Girl Has a Very Big Future

She is going to be a Leader Dog!

And you can help name her!

Details of this new Great Poprs Giveway coming soon, so check back with us every day.