Sorry we haven’t been posting much lately.  Its our busy season and we’re having too much fun on what feels like a gazillion projects around here!

We had to take a minute this morning though, to tell you about our friend Titan, who was named World’s Tallest Dog by Guinness World Records yesterday!

[caption id="attachment_1714" align="aligncenter" width="512" caption="This image provided by Guinness World Records on Thursday Nov. 12, 2009 shows the Great Dane, Titan with his owner, Diana Taylor in San Diego. Guinness World Record announces Titan, owned by Diana Taylor of San Diego, as the "World's Tallest Dog" in celebration of Guinness World Records Day. Titan measures 42.25 inches tall. (AP Photo/Guinness World Records, Crissy Pascual)"][/caption]

Titan, and owner Diana Taylor, live in San Diego with another white Dane, Ari, who is about 30 pounds heavier than our girls.  Here are some of their awesome Halloween costumes:

[caption id="attachment_1717" align="aligncenter" width="525" caption="Titan, Diana & Ari, Protesting Cows"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1716" align="aligncenter" width="525" caption="Cave Woman Diana & Titanasaurus. Aridactyl's back end is showing..."][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1718" align="aligncenter" width="446" caption="Merchant Diana and Titan the Camel"][/caption]

We’re so excited for Diana and Titan.  Of course, it’s just pretty darned cool to own a Guinness World Record.  But for a white Dane to have the title, with an owner like Diana, means we now have an ambassador for white Danes.  Diana and her dogs do a lot of charity events and therapy work, which will only expand now with Titan’s title.  People will be educated that “white dogs are aggressive” and “white Danes are rare and exotic” are myths.  People will see that canine deafness and blindness are very easy to live with–and not a reason to avoid adopting a dog.

Diana also plans to use Titan’s new celebrity to help her human community.  They currently live in San Diego, where she is working on a project to give victims of disasters a place to stay with their pets following natural disasters.  Many shelters refuse to accept animals, so if owners don’t want to be separated from their pets, they have to sleep outside with them. Diana’s dream is to convert old train cars and shipping containers which could be rolled in during earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes or fires so people wouldn’t have to be away from their animals at a turbulent time.

So please join me in congratulating the Taylor Family – it’s a win for everyone!

More Info:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_odd_world_s_tallest_dog

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com

http://www.titanandfriends.com

Watch Titan & Diana on Conan

Watch Titan & Diana on TODAY

Karl has been doing some excellent work with our Las Vegas-based clients.  In fact, he’s gotten so much positive feedback lately, that Keith decided to set him up in a new office, fully-equipped for his computing dreams.  We shot a photo just before showing it to him:

[caption id="attachment_1703" align="aligncenter" width="525" caption="Click for a closer look."][/caption]

Heh-heh-heh…  The first sentence is true, but maybe we’re having a little fun at his expense with the rest of that. :-)

The Christmas Angels program provides moderately-priced gifts to low-income, disadvantaged youth in South Pacific County, Washington. Local banks put up Christmas trees each season which are adorned with angels that have the name of a child in need and his/her Christmas wish on them. Visitors select angels, purchase the gifts, and put them beneath the tree, wrapped and labeled for the child.

Unfortunately, not all the angels are chosen from the tree, so, with your help, the Rotary Club raises funds to purchase those gifts so that no child will go without on Christmas morning. In addition to fund raising, the club advertises and then puts together a call center for those wishes to be phoned in. We wrap the presents that we purchase and those that come to the banks unwrapped.

This outstanding program was created and run by the Long Beach Grange for many years. When the Grange had to let go of the program, Rotary stepped in to fill the void with their volunteers’ help.

More help is needed to make sure each angel’s wish is fulfilled. Can you imagine what it’s like to be a child who receives no gift on Christmas morning? You could be the person who makes sure that doesn’t happen, for at least one child. As you shop for your loved ones this year, why not add to your list a little something for an angel or two? Better yet, let the children in your family help you shop and wrap a gift or two for children who are less fortunate – spread the spirit of the season! And make a little angel smile on Christmas morning.

Cash donations may be dropped off here at beachdog.com (1517 Pacific Ave N in Long Beach, WA) or mailed to Rotary Christmas Angels, PO Box 606, Seaview, WA 98644.  For more information, contact Rotary Christmas Angels Chair Shirley Pryor-Pyne: 360-642-2789