Happy Howl-o-ween!

Greetings Ghouls and Boys!

Yes it's the Head Bitch's Favorite Holiday! I awoke this morning with a flutter of excitement as it's the big day! Spooks, goblins, candy and pumpkins. I love it all. (especially the candy) I thought I'd take a few pictures of the fur-kids for fun this morning. Due to the recession we used things I had around the house for costumes. I also discovered the main difference between Irish and English Setters. My English Setters Fiona and Lily were like "Well of coarse Mummy! Put a full costume on us! We'll sit still for as many pictures as you wish! Cheers!" (Henceforth Lily is an adorable Skunk and Fiona is a Lady Who Lunches)

My Irish Setters Dugan and Caelan were more along the lines of "For the love of all things holy Ma! We hate this blarney! Put the damn thing on our heads and get this over with! Oh and there better be food coming!" (So as you can see Dugan is a Bunny because eating a carrot was the only way to keep the ears on his head and Caelan is a Princess because well, frankly she truly believes she is royalty)

Sully the cat purred as I put his chicken headpiece costume on and barely seemed to notice it. Brody our other cat became MIA the moment the camera came out. Sigh.

Send me pics of your special pooches and kitties enjoying Halloween, wont you?

Happy Howl-o-ween! ~ Shannon

p.s. Fiona is available for lunch dates if anybody is interested. Email to get on her schedule. info@luckyfiona.com

2010 Lucky Fiona Calendar Contest Winners

This year's 2010 Friends of Fiona Wall Calendar is bigger and better than ever! Full color and heavy glossy stock make this a work of art worthy of displaying in your home or office.

Thanks to all our entries for this year's Calendar Photo Contest! We were thrilled to receive over 85 photos this year from many good looking Friends of Fiona. It was hard to pick with so many snazzy pooches (and not one cat entry this year! Where are you feline friends?) We are pleased to announce our winners in Month Order:

Mr. January ~ Dio (Scola)

Miss February ~ Mabel (Rodeghierio)

Misters March ~ Charlie & Riley (Wincek)

Mr. April ~ Kirby (Crickenberger)

Mister & Miss May ~ Remy & Burberry (Holsopple)

Miss June ~ Roxanne (Whybrew)

Miss July ~ Sweet Old Yellow Dog Bailey (Usey)

Miss August ~ Nala (Kaufman)

Mr. September ~ Apollo (Barreau)

Mr. October ~ Dudley (Myrick)

Mr. November ~ Bailey (Dimitri)

Miss December ~ Madison Grace (Law)

Winners will be notified by email this week and please shop early for these limited calendars in our Etsy shop! We have a small quantity being printed (25) http://www.luckyfiona.etsy.com/

Proceeds from 2010 Friends of Fiona Calendars will be donated to the Dekalb County Animal Control in Genoa, Illinois. This is the shelter where we rescued Fiona from in 2006. Convo on Etsy or email info@luckyfiona.com with any questions.

Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner (or kicks her off the bed for that matter)

Lily's nights on our bed may be numbered. It all started about a week ago when my darling husband started thrashing around complaining of having no room on the bed and announced "Lily! It's time you slept on a dog bed! Honey, don't you think so?" I feigned sleep and even threw in a little snore for authenticity. I glanced through closed eyelashes to see Alex roll over and turn off his bedside light. I silently did a little victory dance in my mind and hoped the topic would be forgotten.

Since her first night here Lily has curled into a little spotty setter ball on our bed at night. She is polite, she will first stand next to the bed waiting for me to give her the go-ahead before leaping up like a gazelle. She has to be laying against me as she sinks into slumber and I often pat her head in reassurance that yes I love having her close too.

Lily being allowed on the bed all night is rather decadent. Dugan our 10 year old Irish Setter prefers to sleep downstairs most evening on the couch facing the front window on high alert. If a leaf blows up the street he will be sure to bark about it until we are all safe. Fiona ever the lady lays on the bed for a short while when we prepare for sleep but sweetly leaves for her dog bed in our room before we retire. Caelan has been exiled from all night bed sleeping since 2005 when she began growling at me for entering the bed after her and Alex were in it. I told her no bitch is coming between me and my man and she has spent evenings on the big overstuffed chair since. (although she has been known to sneak back up in the middle of the night that little floozie) In the wee hours of the morning after Alex rises and gets ready for work it's open game and all the dogs snuggle up with me so the bed does not feel so empty. Not so much because they adore me, but to make sure I don't hit the snooze too many times and delay their breakfast.

So having Lily on the bed all night is a bit spoiling. But one look at this little moppet and you'd spoil her too. My husband was okay with the cramped conditions while Lily assimilated and got comfortable with us, but apparently her welcome is worn out and he wants his leg space back. As little as Lily is she tends to sometimes do the setter-stretch and sprawl out in the manner of a drunken hippie. I'd be lying if I myself did not admit to awaking to a paw pushing my head off the pillow a few times.

The last few nights I have tried to put Lily on the outer edge of the bed so Alex does not awake at 2:00a.m. to a setter licking his bald head and a fluffy tail banging the duvet cover in excitement when he cries out "Whaaaaattttissssthhhaaaat!" Unfortunately Lily has been networking with Caelan and was fully trained by her with the wait-until-they're-dead-asleep-and-go-wherever-you-damn-well-please-on-the-bed-routine. (and you thought I was kidding when I called Caelan a bitch)

I don't know how much longer I can hold Alex off from giving her the boot. I'll just keep giving him the "she's just a poor rescue baby!" routine and hope she can keep her licker to herself in the a.m. hours. How many collars do you think I need to sell to afford a king size bed?

Love Me, Love My Skinny Rescue Dog (and keep your comments to yourself)

Attention people at the dog park, people in the vet office waiting room, people at the dog bakery and people picking up their dogs at the groom shop.

I am aware Lily is skinny!

Do not give me evil looks like I am purposely starving my own dog. Do not whisper to the person standing next to you "did you see how thin that dog is?" like I cannot hear you. Above all do not try to educate me on how I should feed my dog. (this means you lady who loudly suggested Kibbles & Bits is available in the 40 pond bag at SuperWalmart)

My favorite tip on proper nutrition was from the cranky man at the dog park who told me to feed her McDonald's. Oh right, McDonalds! Silly me making her fresh chicken, tripe, salmon and beef and slowly adding fresh fruits and vegetables to the mix to help heal her digestive tract. A Big Mac was the answer all along! (dumb-ass)

I have become so paranoid in public places with Lily I immediately announce to anybody within earshot "She was pulled from a shelter! We just rescued her! I feed her small highly caloric meals throughout the day!"

Truth is Lily is slowly gaining, which is the safe way for her to put on weight. It has been a challenge with 3 other dogs (one of whom needs to lose weight) to get Lily's extra food in without 3 sets of pathetic setter eyes looking at me like "You mean there are other meals besides breakfast and dinner? We want in!" Dear Lily is quickly learning to come to me when I whisper and flag her into the kitchen silently so as not to arise suspicion from the others. No small feat as Dugan can hear food hit a dog dish from 100 yards away.

Lastly - what the heck is wrong with you people anyway? I would never walk up to somebody at the dog park and say "Hey! Your beagle is a big fat ass!" or "Gee whiz your labrador is a huge cow!" Yet everywhere I go people act like Lily's slenderness is open game for comment.

So back off folks. My little gal is perfect in every way and we will slowly get her weight to a healthy place...and Ronald McDonald will have nothing to do with it.

Fiona is in Dog Joy!

We are so happy to report that Fiona's name and photograph is featured in the newly released book "Dog Joy - The Happiest Dogs in the Universe" from the Editors of Bark Magazine. Our spotty gal (wearing Lucky Fiona of coarse) is on page 187 above the Index page. Her photo may be small compared to others in the book but only 500 photos were picked out of 10,000 so we are mighty proud regardless.