Now, Presto Dog is, indeed, a web site dedicated to the dog. But who among us does not have to file an income tax return? As a part-time vendor on eBay who makes a modest buck here and there selling quality agility equipment, even Presto Dog acknowledges that Uncle Sam is Capo de Capo (head of heads) and must be appeased every April 15th, the last day one can file a tax return in the US without incurring a penalty.

So, we'd usually sit down each year with all our receipts for equipment we purchased, W-2s from employers, 1099s and whatever other income-relative documents that would help us file our return and churn, weep and drag ourselves through the annual filing regimen. It wasn't a task we relished too much, to say the least.

That's until we found TurboTax software. Man, this stuff does the trick! Simply by filling in lines with the same receipts you'd have to assemble yourself for the manual endeavor we noted above or bring to an accountant, this great software package does all the work for you. It adds, subtacts & ask questions to help create an accurate filing. One really great feature is a box that remains on each page showing you the amount of your refund (or additional tax owed to the IRS, heaven forbid) so far. When you're done, the software prints out all the forms you need, files your return on-line with the IRS and for about $30 will direct Al Capone's nemesis with instructions on where to make a deposit of your refund.

Here's a link to this great software. Check it out by clicking on the pop-up box that appears when you let your mouse hover over the following link: TurboTax Federal + State Home and Business 2006 Win/Mac.

But caveat emptor (let the buyer beware)...once you use it you might just look forward to filing your return each year!

When I got home from work yesterday, I walked into a home that smelled cleaner and fresher than it usually does. When the Sheltie contingent of our pack (Lyric, Lily & Declan):

Three Shelties

...came up to greet me, I realized why...they had been all been groomed! Twelve little feet (four for each dog, not one with a dozen all to itself) were neat and trimmed, ears properly tipped to just the correct angle and hair brushed to perfection comprised the picture of my three friends who pranced around, knowing quite well that they were a tribute to their breed.

If you're a regular visitor to this Presto Dog web site, you'll probably realize that I didn't mention the status of Dougie:

Dougie (with Lily on the side)

...our tr-color Collie. As the Shelties were greeting me he was still being groomed. Eventually he, too, was a shining, gleeming example of doggie neatness and cleanliness.

Multitudinous kudos to the lady of the Presto Dog den! Without her we'd live in a smelly ol' dog house.

He's always been the boss around the den, making sure the other two Shelties (Lyric & Lily) and our tri-color Collie named Dougie don't step out of line. The rules he makes are self-imposed and we don't condone them, but his instinct is to be alpha and as such he rules with an iron paw.

Here's a picture of Declan:

Deckie Smiling

Although the caption on the picture note he's smiling, I believe Deckie had just finished "herding" Dougie and was actually out of breath and resting until he could go indoors and get a refreshing drink of ice cold water.

While surfing around the Internet the other evening, we came across these cute items that we simply gotta have! They're called DOG CHAIN PULLS. They attach to any standard lamp or ceiling fan and are availalbe in just about any breed of dog you can imagine! To see what these items look like, CLICK HERE to see a Shetland Sheepdog chain pull.

Clicking on DOG CHAIN PULLS will take you to Amazon.com where you can get one of these items for yourself in your breed (in the unlikely event you weren't intrigued by the Sheltie item noted above). It's a really neat addition for the dog lover who wants to see an image of their pet just one more time before turning out a light. Why not get one for yourself or the dog lover in your life?

There are a variety of trails & paths for visitors to traverse while enjoying the serene forest. Since we had time to kill this day, we took one of the routes that wound its way through the whole of the park and eventually put us on the shore of a lake. Here's a picture of Lily and Declan, two of our three Shetland Sheepdogs, taking a rest with the lake in the background:

Lily & Declan at the Park

We also have a Collie and another Sheltie, named Dougie and Lyric, respectively, that accompanied us on our fun outting at the park. Here's a shot of Lyric in the foreground and Dougie in the background waiting for us to resume our trek:

Lyric & Dougie at the Park

We eventually completed our vigorous afternoon trip at the park, made our way home and all the dogs took restful naps after the arduous activities they were faced with were completed.

This morning, the lady of the Presto Dog household took out Dougie, our tri-color Collie. He was happy & carefree as he usually is, prancing around, picking up sticks and enjoying his outdoor jaunt. That is, until he spotted the aforementioned bed & accompanying mattress & box spring. At that point Dougie took issue with the fact that something in his environment had been moved out of place; he was effectively "spooked." Barking and much trepidation ensued until the offending items were eventually assumed into his world.

Here's a picture of our friend Dougie on the agility pause table he likes to stand on & survey his pack mates:

Dougie on Agility Pause Table

Oddly enough, the three Shelties who reside in the Presto Dog household ddn't seem too adversely affected by the new addition to their outdoor playground. And here I thought I knew our dogs!

The semi-world famous Presto Dog photographer was here today and took this shot of sweet Lily who's standing still with "Big" underneath her, one of the balls she loves to chase & bring back to me after I kick it for her:

Lily and "Big"

The picture doesn't do the ball justice (thank goodness!) 'cause it's a dirty, muddy mess but the whole pack loves playing with it. Once again, it's been around for a couple of years, they've all grown accustomed to it & it's become a favorite for our "just so" dogs.

Now, there's nothing wrong with catching a few zzz's now and then. As a matter of fact, we saw our Shetland Sheepdog Lyric resting her very pretty head on one of the steps on our porch the other morning. Here's a picture of her resting up after an utterly exhausting walk around our back yard:

A Sheltie Sleeps

Just so we don't leave you with the wrong impression, a mere two or three minutes later Lyric was awakened from her brief slumber. So here's a picture of her bright eyed and bushy tailed, all ears (and eyes) for the camera of the semi-world famous Presto Dog photographer:

A Sheltie Awakens

Lyric is a retired show dog, having garnered two points toward her championship before she decided the ring wasn't where she wanted to spend her weekends. She's a fine dog!