A Haiku on Thursday

:::

sidewalk feels like sun

I breathe the summer embers

fall will soon arrive

:::

Smoodge is Born

Smoodge says "Beep Beep."

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

P.S. Ok, sometimes it's just fun to be enigmatic. Plus, my mouf ith full ov charios and mulk. Wuff.

Painting Tip #2: The Bat Signal

Yes, I said it. The secret is out. Acrylic paint bottles like to be treated like inanimate bats. Sounds a little crazy, eh? Well, as I was pawing around M's art journal, I found a neat list of secret tips and tricks that she's discovered through trial and error over the years. Shh, she'd make me eat canned dog food if she knew I was sharing them! :-P

Ok, so back to the paint. If you've ever stored paints for a few weeks, then you know what can happen. A gummy residue builds up around the inner lip of the container. If this happens because you haven't used the color for some time, the opening actually becomes smaller.

So, what to do? We look to the bat theory. This really began with the idea of how one is supposed to store cottage cheese or yogurt in the fridge. That's right, upside down. Something about creating an air pocket at the opposite end....yada yada yada.
It works. That's what is important.

And so the bat theory took form. Store the paints upside down and ta da, less build-up and longer lasting paints. But, first make sure those lids are on securely, or you'll be looking at a whole new theory called KABLAMMO. Colorful, but not fun to clean up.

Hope this helps!

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

A Haiku on Wednesday

:::::::

little dog am I
running through waves of summer
catching tomorrow

:::::::

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

Surprise Smiles

So, here's how one can be surprised online.

I had multiple windows open as I was reading the online newspaper, checking out a new flash game (horrible addiction to those "Escape this room" games), and I also had a window on that was loading Etsy.

As I was flipping through the windows, I almost fell off my chair (luckily I have strong doggie claws) when I saw this:



I am so honored thtat M and M had an art piece chosen for a treasury by munieca (She has fabulous paper bird charms, etc. that are just adorable). This treasury then got chosen for the front page of Etsy for today!

Thank-you Munieca and thank-you Etsy! :-) This totally made my day!

And that is how a surprise smile brightens the hottest of days.

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

Wildwood's Cactus Thorn ~ An Amazing Dog!

Little Wildwood's Cactus Thorn is such a cute dog. Not only has he been saved from being euthanized, he has a wonderful "seeing eye" human (Bob Gabbard) to help him around. The two are just magical together.

If you'd like to start your day with a smile, check out the link.

We salute you Bob Gabbard and Wildwood's Cactus Thorn!

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

Painting Tip #1: Easy Squeezy

As an artistic dog, I observe a lot that goes on around the studio. One thing that used to occur, were tubes of paint which would go unused due to their lids adhering to the tubes with super inhuman strength!

So, one of my favorite painting tips I'd like to share:

Use chapstick (or you can use an old candle) on the screw top tubes of paint to keep the lids from becoming stuck. Simply apply a small amount of chapstick (and/or wax by rubbing the candle gently onto the threaded opening) onto the threaded part of the tube and then screw the lid back on. In most cases, your lids will not stick quite as tight when paint adheres to the tube or when the tube hasn't been opened for some time.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of..." paint!

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

The Planet

Some observations (and unanswered questions) that freak this dog out:

Where have all the butterflies gone? I chased Monarchs around the yard every spring and late summer. Now, I'm lucky to see one all year in Southern California. I miss seeing them on a regular basis.

Birds keep turning up with bad feet. A lot of crows have something wrong that's causing them to have one foot that is badly deformed. I would see these crows all the time. Sadly, even the mutated foot crows are becoming scarce.

Polar bears are becoming extinct? I may have never seen one, but this is surely a bad sign.

Gorillas are becoming extinct? Well, this is mainly due to poaching and the destruction of the rain forest. But it's still a scary thought that someday there won't be any gorillas.

The oceans are becoming so contaminated that people are having strange rashes when surfing. It's not just on sewage run-off days either.

We have to watch out for mosquitos and then, in turn, stay away from dead birds because they may have died due to West Nile from a mosquito.

If the west nile virus doesn't get the bird, the bird flu might. So, now chicken is a 50/50 gamble.

And beef is a 50/50 gamble and I mean, who doesn't love a good cheeseburger? But these days, Mad cow disease is possible and so is E-coli.

So, you avoid birds, mosquitos, eating chicken and beef. What's left? Well, watch that tuna because the mercury levels are dangerously high. And don't BBQ any meat (what's left?) because overcooking it can cause cancer-causing carbon.

Dog food isn't even safe! And, again, what's left? Vegetables. Watch out, bagged spinach and onions might contain harmful E-coli or salmonella.

Looks like dehydrated organic strawberries in some filtered water (Have you read about bottled water sources?) is the only choice left.

And now you know why I drink coffee and have insomnia. These are the things this dog thinks about. And you wonder why my paws twitch when I'm sleeping?

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging worrying dog :-P

:: Beep Beep ::

You know how sometimes you might get a song stuck in your head? Like, say, umm, Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World"? Jeremiah was a bull frog/Was a good friend of mine/I never understood a single word he said...

Ok, well that's how M gets when she has a series of images stuck in her mind. She's been obsessed (err, is that the right word?) about zombies and robots. There's something a little freaky and a little funny about the both of them.

So, everything lately has been a robot this or a zombie that or even better, an animated zombie robot.

Let's just hope she doesn't call me "Brainnnnz" and I'll be ok, I think.

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

Ode to Smelly Dog

-----Ode to a Smelly Dog-----

There once was a dog so smelly
got lathered from tail to belly
bubbles popped and tickled his nose
they even got between his toes

The cascading suds tasted a lot like bacon
but the dog could have been mistaken
however, as the bubbles began to multiply
the dog tipped his head, he realized why

A good grip and he readied to dash
from the tub erupted an enormous SPLASH
the once smelly dog had gotten free
and went straight to the couch with much glee

And so I stood dripping wet
not sure what to do as of yet
I wondered where it was that I'd gone wrong
...turns out the bath was for me all along!

(a little original poem by MKS, 2007)


In case you can't tell, I saw a certain episode
of "Friends" and well, I couldn't let the cats
have all the glory! Woof!

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

The Tiny Tenacious Tyrant

I've always loved flycatchers. There's something about the way they hover over the fresh cut bluegrass. They are patient birds. Being such a patient (*cough*) dog, I admire them. Around here we have quite a few species, the prominent one being little Black Phoebes. Very cute indeed. Although, as far as coloring, the flycatcher above wins for vibrancy.

Today, we went to Matts. M had her sketch book, you can guess the rest. I got to dig in the sand and get my paws wet in the shallow water, while M sketched. Fun for all.

Well, I'm off to enjoy some wasabi peas. Woof!

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

Do You Speak Bird?

I've often wondered what the little backyard birds are saying as they tweet and chirp away. There is something so beautiful and yet so haunting to hear their singing as the sun slips out of view at the end of the day.

So, this is what I'm thinking as my paws twitch and click on the floor when I'm sleeping.

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

A Little Dog Nap

Today, I was a lazy dog.

I found a wonderful new napping place. In the backyard there is a nice spot next to the trellis of white iceland roses. Perfect spot. The breeze across Saddleback Mountain brings a lovely aroma of rose blossoms. The mulch warms up by midmorning and the violets below are like soft fuzzy pillows. I managed to nap there for over an hour before I awoke to Mocha licking my paw. He wanted to go for an afternoon walk together.

Here's to a wonderful weekend!

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

I Like Broccoli, Woof

Yes, it's true, I like broccoli. And, I'm a dog. So, go figure.

Apparently, I'm not supposed to like a little green vegetable that looks strikingly like a little tree. But, I do. And my theory has to do with the fact that the little green stalks do look like little trees. Since I like taking a nap under a fig tree and waiting patiently for peaches to fall from the peach tree, it only seems fair that I'd be fond of a little edible tree. They're bite size. They taste yummy. I love the little crunch they have after they're steamed to perfection. I admit it, I'm smitten with the little green trees.

So, that's my theory and I'm sticking with it.

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

Genealogy Tree

What's been the delay in blogging? Well, a new series of course. M has been mulling over an original digital illustration on a genealogy tree series. She finally (woof woof!) came up with the finalized idea and ta da, here is the result (above). If you have any suggestions for letters you'd like to see, just drop an email or Etsy convo. M loves genealogy. She's always over at rootsweb and ancestry.com and looking at something called census records or the sort.

Meanwhile on the dog front, I've been a bad bad dog. I found a most comfortable quilt in a back room at home and well, I just had to drag it to my doggie bed in the middle of the night. Needless to say, the cotton quilt was an absolute comfy blankie to sleep on. Unfortunately, I had the quilt snatched out from under me...sheesh, I didn't know that was in a "hope chest." What's a hope chest anyhow? Looks more like a dog bed chest filled with soft blankies to nuzzle with and on and under.

Heirloom quilts. Ok, ok ok. Woof.

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

P.S. No quilts were harmed in my attempt at doggie coziness. I didn't even chew on the edges, honest. Ok, so I slobbered a little. But I get a free "slobber pass" (like a Big Brother slop pass, only for dogs). :-)

Friday the 13th

Just to err on the side of caution, I suggest
all dogs stay away from the following:

black cats
sidewalk cracks
pennies
ladders
cars
the number 13
salt
mirrors
shadows
crossed knives
sparrows
umbrellas
...and gravediggers

Have a happy Friday the 13th all!

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

The Places I've Been

I dip the tip of my round brush into a small mountain of acrylic blue cyan. One globule of blue hangs on to the hairs of the brush. For a moment, I am amazed at the little drop of sky I can see in the reflections cast from the wet surface of the paint. I guide the blue onto the gessoed canvas. The acrylic paint dances across the textured valley of cotton until no more white can be seen.

With the colors of Hawaiian Hibiscus flowers, catapillar eyes, and blacks as rich as the eyes of a Syrian Hamster, I paint without stopping. I hear the clock ticking on the wall behind me, but the hands fade to oblivion as I enter a tunnel to a far away place. I never know where I'll end up.

Sometimes, I find myself in strange lands with stranger creatures who paint themselves into my canvases. Other times, I find myself licking my dry lips, having forgotten to sip water for many hours. I'll discover when I lift my head and stretch my arms that the sun, once bursting through the panes of glass and onto my easel like warm hands, has long left the sky. In it's place, a sliver of silver white moon is peaking through the bay window of the studio, teasing me with winking stars far off.

It is at times like these that I rinse my brush, sit back, and wonder. Surely, I have travelled somewhere to not realize such things.

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

Hedgehog and the 5th of July

I'm baacccckkk@!

Ok, so nobody noticed. I was away, and now, I am back. La tee da.

First, hedgehogs. There is something so cute about an animal that is covered in quills and yet remains huggable, isn't there? Now, being a dog, I stay far far (FAR!) away from quills, spines, needle sharp spiney anything animals. I mean, I have to protect my nose. Those spines hurt! That is why I won't visit the desert. Come on, it's covered in all sorts of ouchie animals, ouchie plants and just plain ouchies. Plus, hot sand and paws are not fun.

Now, the 5th of July. I guess I've had my head buried in the sand (which is not a good thing, as you will read) about the day after Independence Day. It appears (some) people celebrating the 4th end up trashing our beaches up and down the coast. Go on, Google it. The photos are horrible. As a dog, I walk on those beaches and the fact that so much trash covered places like Newport Beach, Dana Point, and Huntington Beach is just plain...sad. It looked like a landfill. From styrofoam coolers to water bottles and worse, the sand was literally (or should I say LITTERly) covered from shore to sand. The clean-up had to stop once the tide went out (along with tons of trash which will hurt animals) and start again once the tide came in (washing the same trash back on shore).

The epidemic of litter has also hit our national parks. Come on! Pick up that trash. I don't want to see chip bags and empty water bottles littering the side of Yosemite hiking trails, do you? That's dog gone yucky.

Ok, I'm off the dog soap box (it looks a little like the "Red Baron").

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

Happy 4th of July!

--- God Bless America ---
Here's to a wonderful 4th of July!

May you have a happy day filled with family, friends, and yummy foods!

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

I'm off to the beach to watch some nifty fireworks and eat some tofurkey dogs. Woof woof! Oh, and homemade lemon meringue pie. Yum to my tum.

Zombie + Robot = Fun!

I am a huge horror flick fan! And what inspired this latest art (I often woof into M's ear at night to give her artistic inspiration) was a combination of films.

Some film I remember with the actor who played Albert Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) had a creepy yellow robot named "Bee-Bee." What made it creepy was the way the robot said it's name and the eyes. The voice stayed with me.

I also recently watched Resident Evil I and II (music is great), Return of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead(remake and original--both are wicked), Shaun of the Dead (hilarious and makes me laugh out loud every time when he wakes up and goes to the little grocery store and is totally oblivious), and 28 Days Later (the speed of the infected is...unnerving). Of course I watched all of these over the course of two weeks (but I have done the horror weekend marathon before, lol).

After watching so many horror flicks about zombies, the undead, the walking dead and flesh eaters, I finally got M to make some more zombie art (she did a piece with a robot bird that could turn cannibalistic, but that's just not the same, you know?).

And the result if what you see above. I hope you like the final result.

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