Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween!

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Around here, we're carving pumpkins into ghoulish jack-o-lanterns and finding out multiple uses for fake blood, glow in the dark latex and wax fangs! Muhahahahaha.

Here's to a wonderful Halloween! May all your sweetest dreams come true (hot cinnamon candy apples, woo hoo!) and may you have a safe and fun evening trick-or-treating!

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Crazy About Hedgehogs!

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Around here, we love hedgehogs. Those cute little spine covered mammals which curl into balls? Those are hedgehogs. Or hedgies.

Recently M worked on a completely hand sewn and hand embroidered hedgehog brooch. Every quill or "needle" was sewn strand by strand over many hours. But the end result was awesome (in my humble doggie opinion). There's just something cuddly cute (or twee) about the little critters who can have as many as 500 spines on them when full grown!

Here's a few facts about hedgies:

They're omnivores (they eat plants and animals).
They're nocturnal.
They're born with soft membrane covered spines.

I just know, that around here, we're crazy about 'em. They make us smile. Unfortunately, they aren't native dwellers to Southern California. So, for now, the only place you might find one is in our Etsy store (*hint hint* subtle plug, eh? ).

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Saturday, October 27, 2007

When Cable is Out, We Love to Sew!

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This little guy hatched a couple weeks ago.


As his flight lessons have just begun, he's a little tough on his landings. I hear him flapping to and fro. He chirps quite a bit too.


Wilbur was so much fun to create. M kept working on Wilbur for many days and evenings. She says he's a rare Barn Twee Bird and he was made with a lot of love.

I, myself, have to wonder a little about Wilbur. I mean, will he be hoarding in on my coffee? I wonder if he talks?

Have a wonderful weekend, I'm off to take a needed doggie walk. The skies are blue again and I'm feeling the need to sniff some fall leaves. Plus, I have to keep an eye out for Wilbur.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging do g:-)

Thursday, October 25, 2007

California Fires: Still Smokey Due to Santiago Fire

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It's still smokey here, which means no doggie walks around the neighborhood. Right now homes in Trabuco Canyon are in danger. We watch the news when we can (the cable is continually out) and then listen on the radio and check the internet for local information.

Last night the moon was orange again. This means the ash is thick in the air. The fire nearest, which was 50% contained is now 30% contained and not getting better.

We have large pieces of ash (size of silver dollars) outside. Quite scary.

We continue to pray for all those people and animals displaced by the fires throughout California.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-(

Monday, October 22, 2007

Smoke and Fires

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Well, sadly multiple fires are now ravaging California.

I believe there are fires in: San Diego (the wild animal parks had to be evacuated as well as the Scripps area), Orange County (Irvine area near Portola), Malibu, Arrowhead, Castaic, San Bernadino and numerous others.

Currently, we have to keep all doors and windows shut. No doggie walks today. No gardening and no sketching outside. The smoke causes choking when you do have to venture outdoors. The ash is swirling in the air and the winds are blowing more each hour that passes. The moon last night was glowing orange and is not something I want to see again. Very ominous.

Our prayers are with anyone having to deal with this fire storm.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-(

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Santa Ana Winds

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If anyone has been around California, then you've probably heard of the Santa Ana winds. Right now they are gusting to over 70 mph (Or Cat 1 Hurricane) in Orange County.

The howling sound the winds make as they pass around and over the studio are scary. They have a life of their own.

Here's to a safe Sunday and our prayers to those in Malibu and Castaic where fires are blazing.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Sewing on Sunday

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M is embroidering something by hand.
The other M is sketching.
Me? I'm taking a doggie nap after I blog.

So, today the clocks are all set and showing the correct time. Weird how that happened yesterday, eh? Still haven't figured out what caused the digital boxes to go all wonky. The alarm ended up going off in the afternoon and then again in the evening. This freaked me out man! I went bonkers. Ok, so I ran around barking at everything...and I mean everything. Eventually, I gained control over my instinct to rip and shred a cardboard box and I was able to curl up for a nap.

Speaking of which...

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Saturday, October 13, 2007

It's NOT Friday, Right?

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You know it's Friday the 13th, err, Saturday the 13th when your alarm clock is frozen at 3:12am. Not flashing, not blinking, just sitting there with big red digital numbers and not moving. M unplugged it and replugged it, no go.

Then, the digital tv receiver was stuck later on this morning at 9:50am. Ok, don't panic. Might be a digital clock rebellion. Perhaps the digital numbers had a union meeting and decided to strike.

Then you go to get some yummy spinach and cheese pizza in the back of the freezer and whammo, your finger takes a nice slice right across the index. A couple paper towels later, a concerned dog wondering why your towels are turning crimson red, and it's back the freezer because lunch is still required.

I am now curled up on the lap of M and we're going to watch a horror flick. Because today is not a day to mess with going anywhere in a car, train or plane. I'm not even going to tell M I told her so when she burned the roof of her mouth on a slice of pizza.

I tell ya, it must be Friday the 13th.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Friday, October 12, 2007

Embroidery: Thread and Stitch

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We've been sewing again! Well, when I say "we," I mean M and M. I can't exactly hold a needle and thread with these paws now could I? Then again, if I could sew, I'd be on "Ripley's Believe It or Not." Now, that would be wild!

I think M and M are loving doing embroidery. There's something relaxing and beautiful about a needle and thread creating an image. It's like painting, only a little painful at times (ouchie, bad needle!) and knots are no fun (no fun!).

A little preview of projects in the works and on the way to the Etsy shop:





The top image is a little kitty (woof!). Can you believe those disloyal artists...I mean, really now. A kitty? Why not a dog? Ok, so they have embroidered dogs. I know. But, alas, I'm a dog and have to complain or I'd be kicked out of the union (Yes, there is a union, we meet every New Moon).

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Sunday, October 7, 2007

It's Windy!

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Today the wind is singing as a gust passes through the breezeway. I took a jaunt out to the fig tree and caught a Red Tailed Hawk soaring high above. So majestic. So beautiful. Oh how I wish I could fly. I'd be up among the cyan blue sky looking down on the patches of land stitched together into mosaics of green and yellow.

Then I saw pine needles dropping from the tall pine out back. First one tail length of brown dropped and then another. After a few moments the ground below, no longer lush and green, turned completely to an earthy golden brown. Yes, fall is here.

I turned my head toward the sky and woofed.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Finding an Alternate Dinner

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So, today it's all about food. :-)

M thought she had some Tofurkey sausages and some noodles. Turns out she had the noodles (homemade spinach and garlic noodles) but no Tofurkey (sigh). In the pantry, a lone cane of kidney beans and some fresh garlic. Ok, what to do...what to do. She looked at my quizzically (I had just eaten dinner and couldn't wait to try her table scraps, mmm mmm good).

Out of nowhere, she starts using the little hand can opener (it zips around the can in a little circle and then waits patiently with the lid hanging in the air by a magnet) on the can of kidney beans. Of course, first, she washed the can lid off. Eww, if she didn't. Then she drains the kidney beans and throws them in a saute pan with a little pat of unsalted butter.

On a white acrylic chopping board, M began to smash the raw garlic with the flat edge of a large butcher knife. Then she peeled and minced the garlic. Did I mention I love when she adds garlic to my dinner?

In another pan, water is boiling. The fresh homemade spinach noodles are dropped in.

She added the garlic to the beans, a smidge of some kind of cheese I can't pronounce (but it tastes smokey) and then mushed everything up with a potato masher while it cooked.

Noodles are cooked. Piled on a crisp white plate with wide rim.

The kidney beans, garlic, butter, cheese and various spices are added and formed into a "mock burger" patty. A lovely leftover of homemade alfredo sauce accompanies and the dish is complete.

Ta da! I, in turn, enjoyed the table scraps of long noodles and beans. Yum.

I never knew not having anything in the fridge could taste sooo good.

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)