Well, flap my jowls and tickle my ears! 

Have you ever seen a more lovable dog? Yep, it’s Charlie, easily the most famous basset hound in America. He lives with Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman herself, and his new picture book, Charlie the Ranch Dog (HarperCollins, 2011), has been on the New York Times Bestseller List for the past 6 weeks! Doggone awesome!

Is that bacon I smell on his breath?

Anyway, just in case you’re not familiar with the book (where on the wide prairie have you been?), it chronicles a typical day on the cattle ranch from Charlie’s point of view. Along with his best friend Suzie (a spunky Jack Russell terrier), he gets up too early every morning and works so hard (wink, wink) fixing fences, gardening, keeping cows and other critters in check, fishing, and rounding up cattle.

A dog this busy certainly deserves oodles of bacon a good meal and endless naps a little rest now and then just to keep his strength up. Why, if not for Charlie’s steady vigilance, Daisy the cow could have destroyed the garden! Personally, I happen to admire those who’ve perfected the fine art of napping and bacon nipping, and I know exactly how Charlie feels: a dog’s work is never done. ☺

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