Conversations With Teddy
The Muttley Crew Chronicles
The Muttley Crew Weather Report
With Max and Mitzi, your trusted snack-and-nap forecasters
Today’s forecast: too hot, too windy, and not enough snacks.
Chance of naps: 100%.
Chance of barking at nothing: also 100%.
Snack advisory remains in effect until further notice.
Good morning from the Muttley Crew Weather Center, where conditions are being closely monitored from the couch, the blanket pile, and anywhere Mom might be hiding snacks.
We are seeing a strong chance of dramatic sighing by midmorning, followed by scattered barking if a squirrel enters the area. By afternoon, conditions should improve slightly with a 100% chance of naps, preferably under a blanket, next to Mom, or directly on top of clean laundry.
Evening outlook: mild temperatures, increased begging near the kitchen, and possible zoomies after dinner.
Snack advisory remains in effect until further notice.
This has been Max and Mitzi with The Muttley Crew Weather Report.
Back to you, Mom.
August Writing Prompts
August always brings with it the feeling of new beginnings with fresh notebooks, sharpened pencils, school bells, nervous first days, and memories of the people who helped shape us along the way. This month’s writing prompts invite you to look back on your school days, the teachers and friends who left a mark on your heart, and the lessons that helped you grow. Whether your memories are sweet, funny, difficult, or bittersweet, they are part of your story. Please share your stories and link them here so I can help preserve and celebrate the memories that made us who we are.
Update: Aspen Acres Fire
There is more hopeful news from the Aspen Acres Fire. As of the latest Monday update, the fire is now reported at 101,921 acres and 66% contained, with 881 personnel still working the fire. Fire officials also announced that management of the fire will transition Tuesday morning to the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3.
Evacuation news continues to improve. Officials report that all evacuation zones have now been reduced to either pre-evacuation or clear status, though residents in pre-evacuation areas still need re-entry cards and should remain ready to leave again if conditions change.
Even with this progress, the loss remains heartbreaking. Reports list 241 homes destroyed in Pueblo County and 84 homes and five buildings destroyed in Custer County, with more than 850 total structures lost earlier in the incident.
For Beulah, Rye, San Isabel, Custer County, Pueblo County, and every family touched by this fire, recovery is only beginning. Firefighters are still working hot spots, strengthening fire lines, repairing suppression damage, and watching for flooding and new lightning-caused starts.
May the winds stay calm, may the crews stay safe, and may every family facing loss feel surrounded by strength, kindness, and hope.
Colorado strong ❤️
Monetary Donations: Can be sent to the United Way Southern Colorado.
Works Cited
Hulting, Aidan, Ashleigh Quintana, and James Gavato. “Evacuations Downgraded across
Southern Colorado, Aspen Acres Fire 66% Contained.” KOAA News5, Scripps Media, 2026.
Sintas, Tyson, Aspen Andrews, Bryce Patterson, Aaron Vitatoe, and Lindsey Grewe. “New
Management Team to Take over Management of ‘Aspen Acres Fire’ Tuesday; Nearly at 102K
Acres, 66% Containment.” KJCT8, Gray Media, 27 July 2026.
Swashes
Home changed for me when my younger brother died eight years ago. The world has never felt quite the same without him.
I think about David often and remember all the adventures we shared as children. I wrote the story “Swashes,” and everything in it was true, except that David did not have a dog.
Whenever I stayed with him, I brought my own Muttley Crew. Max especially loved David and would hardly leave his side.
I love you, and I miss you, David. And yes, you are my favorite sibling…always.
When Home Changed
Home can change in ways we never expect. Sometimes it changes because of a move, a loss, a goodbye, a family shift, or a moment when the place we once knew no longer feels the same. Even when the walls, roads, or rooms remain, our hearts may remember a clear before and after. This week, I invite you to write about a time when home changed for you. What happened? What did you miss? What did you learn about the meaning of home? Please share your story through the link, and I would be honored to feature it on my blog as part of our growing collection of family memories and life stories.
Conversations With Teddy
The Muttley Crew Chronicles
Max and Mitzi’s Guide to Human Training
Written by Max and Mitzi, professional dachshunds and household supervisors
Training a human takes patience, persistence, and excellent timing. Humans are sweet creatures, but they are easily distracted by laundry, schoolwork, phones, and other unimportant things.
That is why we have developed a simple four-step training method.
Step One: Stare.
Do not blink. Do not look away. Make direct eye contact until the human begins to feel emotionally responsible.
Step Two: Tilt Head.
This is where the magic begins. One small head tilt can undo years of human decision-making.
Step Three: Look Tragically Underfed.
Even if breakfast was served seven minutes ago, act as though you have not eaten since the pioneer days.
Step Four: Receive Snack.
At this point, the human should give in. If not, repeat steps one through three, adding a small sigh for dramatic effect.
Training may take time, but do not lose hope. With enough patience, any human can be taught to open the treat jar, share the blanket, and understand that one treat broken in half is still only one treat.
Sincerely,
Max and Mitzi
Small dogs. Big feelings. Strong opinions.
I Left Slowly
Some departures do not begin the day we walk away. They begin in the quiet moments no one sees, through hurt swallowed in silence, kindness longed for but not always given, and pieces of the heart breaking little by little. I Left Slowly is for anyone who has endured more than they should have, loved longer than they were loved back, and finally found the strength to carry what remained of themselves into the light.
Reading Every Day for Cancer
Cancer has touched my life in many painful ways. I have watched loved ones battle this disease and survive, but I have also lost dear friends and family members to it. This week, another friend shared the heartbreaking news of her own diagnosis. Later that same day, the Reading Every Day for Cancer challenge appeared on Facebook. I took it as a sign that I needed to do something.
Because I already love listening to audiobooks, this challenge offers me a meaningful way to turn something I enjoy into support for the American Cancer Society.
Please join me by reading or listening every day, sharing this challenge, or donating if you are able. Every page, every minute, and every act of support brings us one step closer to hope and, someday, a cure.