Dear Oscar, I noticed that you recently sponsored your red-headed human's...

... fund-raising triathlon in the amount of $10. I was wondering where you got the money and why you only donated $10? Also, I noticed that one of the cats you live with donated too. Where did he get the cash, and why didn't the other cat donate as well? This is an extremely important cause, you know. -- A Fan in Montana


Dear Fan,

You are right; supporting cancer research and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society IS an important cause, which is why, of course, I donated. Ali has been training for months with a team of fund-raising athletes for the Mooseman Triathlon in New Hampshire. To donate, click here.

As for where I get my money, this is obvious: I steal it from my humans. Like their internet and DSL service, I take it when they aren't watching. Although I have never asked him, I believe Scout, who also donated, gets his money the same way. Likewise, I am unsure of where Waffle gets his money, but I do know where he spends all of it: on booze.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's names up there with mine on Alison's fund-raising website!

Oscar

GOOD LUCK ALISON!

Have a great race!

Your training partner, Oscar

Dear Oscar, I love to run too, but I am rather new to the concept of a leash since I was homeless for most of my life (I'm 11 months old)...

...until I found my new family about a month and a half ago. My mom takes me walking daily and to the dog park almost daily. She likes to run and has taken me on jogs a few times. I run at a good speed with her, but I zig zag a lot and want to stop and sniff a lot which drives her nuts. She found this new contraption called a Halti which helps us walk together a lot better. But she's not sure if it would be nice for me if I wear it when we go running. Do you think it would impede my panting if I wore it running? Thanks for your expert opinion! -- Ruby (part whippet and part beagle)

Dear Ruby, First off, congrats on finding your new family. That is an exciting development! Secondly, it's great that your human takes you on walks and to the dog park so frequently. In a short span of time, you have trained her well -- nice work!

The running is also great. And, as long as your human sticks with it, I think you'll get less distracted when you go for real runs. Seriously, right now you're just 11-months-old! What 11-month-old puppy can focus enough to go for a run without stopping to explore? So just stay with it, and eventually, you'll calm down. As a highly mature 3-year-old (why is everyone snickering when I describe myself as "mature"?), I know the difference between a walk, a run, or a play in the dog park. And I know when I can stop often or when it's best to stay focused. That said, I always make sure to stop to pee or sniff something -- or even to try to chase a squirrel -- a few times on every run. To establish who's really in charge.

As for the Halti, I do not endorse any products on this blog -- unless they offer full blog sponsorship (please contact my agent). Hey, every dog has his price! Pictures I have seen of the Halti harness, however, don't indicate to me that it would be restrictive. I say try it. Or, your human may want to try what my humans do (see photo). They clip the leash to my collar, then wrap it around my belly or chest. That way, if I pull, rather than choking me, it squeezes my belly and reminds me to let up. It's not mean, it is simple, and it works.

Bottom line: you're out there running and having fun -- that's the most important thing. Oh... and the other most important thing: you are reading the right blog. Ruby, as far as this dog is concerned, you are on the right track.

Your friend, Oscar

Dear Oscar, Why did you delete your last post? -- Curious.

Dear Curious,

I hated to do it. But I guess even yellow puppies aren't safe from spammers. That's right: a slimey scummy spammer posted a comment on the last post and in his/her/its user ID name was a link -- probably to some slime-ball gross spam site.

Anyway, as much as I liked the post because it told how much I love snow, I just got rid of the whole thing.

You know why? Because I think spammers are slimey, scummy dufus-brains. And they smell.

Everyone else out there, however, is fine with me, though.

Mind your own business, spammers. Wags to everyone else.

Oscar

Dear Oscar, Why is there a bicycle in your kitchen? A Concerned Observer

Dear Concerned,

Believe me, I ask myself the same question almost every day. First off, the bike is located directly in the path to my dog dish -- inconvenient to say the least! Secondly, what good does a stationary bike do me? What am I going to do, jog in place alongside my human while she pedals and goes nowhere? As if!

Here's the scoop. Alison is training for an Olympic distance triathlon (see her site). She started mentioning to Mark that she wanted a bike trainer to help prepare for the cycling portion of the Tri. Mark just rolled his eyes: he had once owned a trainer. He spent hundreds on it when he lived in Bolton, rarely used it, then sold it at a loss at a ski swap. "Here we go again," he figured, adding up how much money he was about to throw away on Trainer Number Two.

Then one day, Mark brought me to the Dump. I like the Dump because they always give me dog cookies there. Anyway, after he unloaded our trash and recycling, he glanced inside the "Reuse Room." And what did his wondering eyes behold? Eight tiny reindeer and a bike trainer (the reindeer were part of a Christmas light display)!

So now Ali is riding her bike in the kitchen. (Please note: we actually have two, not one, bike trainer... we have another one on loan now too). It is kind of noisy, and it's not at all like bike-riding outside. Mainly because you don't feel a breeze or see scenery flying past. And you just don't have a yellow puppy bounding alongside you as you pedal.

Ride on,
Oscar

Dear Oscar, While we know you not to be a resort traveler, we were wondering if you could answer a snowmaking question for us...

... Why is it that on very cold days, fine, low-lying clouds form near snowmaking guns? Can you explain this? Your friends at the Stowe Adventure Center


Dear AC Friends,

First, let me set the record straight. I have been known to frequent ski resorts... after lifts stop running for the season! In fact, just last spring, I hiked up the trails of your very own Stowe Mountain Resort and joined my human in skiing from the top of the Chin. In fact, I have even visited the Adventure Center! Of course, I would never do that when you were open for business; that place is too crazy for me during business times.

As for the thin, blanket-like clouds that you get on snowmaking mornings, here's the deal. The phenomenon you refer to is known as "ice fog." In nature, you don't get ice fog until temperatures reach minus-40 Fahrenheit or colder. When it is extremely cold, there is generally high relative humidity too. A cold air mass can't carry much vapor. So when it gets really cold, the slightest amount of moisture causes ice fog. On the South Pole, for example, exhaust from aircraft or from the power plant at the South Pole Station cause plumes of fog because they saturate the cold, cold air with moisture.

On Mt. Mansfield where temperatures aren't nearly so cold, the ice fog you are experiencing is the result of the super-cooled water droplets introduced to the air by your snowmaking guns. A lot of energy goes into cooling these droplets as they come out of the guns. And, the water from the guns speeds the process of saturating the air with moisture, increasing the relative humidity. The result is the low-lying grey blanket that covers the mountain on cold, clear mornings after long snowmaking nights.

You may wonder how I know so much about snowmaking, the South Pole, and ice fog. The answer: I know snowmakers, South "Polies," and my brain is sometimes foggy. (Also, thanks to weather-expert John Gallagher for his input.)

And last thing: my apologies for taking so long answering this question. I was busy with my Christmas shopping.

Think snow, Oscar

Dear Oscar, I am going to be celebrating my first Christmas. I'm putting the finishing touches on my list for Santa and was wondering...

...what some of your favorite presents have been. Merry Christmas, Gracie

PS My owners won't even let me in the room with the Christmas tree. I know it smells good - but how does it taste?

Dear Gracie,

As you will learn, the holidays are a wonderful time of year... mostly because of the food opportunities that arise! In my case, for example, my humans don't feed me any human food. But they prepare a lot of food at this time of year. And when they cook, food falls on the floor. It's inevitable.

Two presents stand out for me. One wasn't exactly a Christmas present; it was a Thanksgiving present. But doesn't the "holiday" season officially begin with Thanksgiving? Anyway, last year for Thanksgiving (which happened to fall on my birthday), I got a kitten! My little brother Waffle first joined our household then. What a gift! Also, closer to Christmas last year, you won't believe the present Alison gave me. She made home-made dog biscuits! Wow! But there's more. She didn't just make me dog biscuits; she made biscuits for every dog she knows. She put them on the counter to cool, forgot about them, and then went out for the evening. Can you believe it? Obviously, it was good karma that befell me for being such a good dog all year!

Yes, I ate every cookie off the counter. What a night.

As for the question about the tree, I have one piece of advice before you start really checking it out: blame any damage on the cat.

Happy Holidays -- and best wishes for a good haul on your first Christmas!
Oscar