Summer Madness

Well, it seems the madness of summer has set in. M is busy on a multitude of projects. I swear I can see steam pumping out of her brain as she works in the studio.

Meanwhile, lazy dog that I am, I've been lollygagging around the yard. I found a lemon had dropped from one of the lemon trees and so the other M came out and harvested a whole basket of fresh lemons. Yum.

You know what that means?

(I'm doing the happy dog dance and twirling around)

Lemonade baby! But not the kind from the movie Cabin Fever, ok?

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

Update: Beauty the Eagle

Awhile back I blogged about a gorgeous eagle named Beauty.

Great news! Beauty received her artificial beak thanks to the kindness of volunteers, Nate Calvin, and Jane Fink Cantwell. You can read more about this incredible bird and the humans who have helped her for the last three years here .

Now that's inspiring. A bionic bird made by humans with hearts of gold.

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

Hubba the Hedgehog

Hubba the Hedgehog
likes a hug now and again
but it seems some are afraid
of being stuck by such prickly skin

Come a little closer
he'll surely welcome you near
with a grin across his face
see, there's nothing to fear

So, the next hedgehog you see
offer a hug right away
the hedgie probably hasn't had one
for a year and a day.

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

Crazy Like a Cat

Sometimes M is working on so many projects (right now it's three brooches, four paintings, two shelfurrs, a couple of linocuts, commissions, graphics, and another icon set) that M looks a bit, well, wonky at the end of the day.

When I say M looks like a crazy cat, I mean M lost track of time and forgot about the coffee she'd heated up three times before 1pm. The focus is there and I'm loving every minute of watching M in what I call the "crazy cat" zone.

That feeling of being so wonky always reminds me of this cat. One day M had hurried off to a chemistry class and in the middle of the street was a cat. Not just any cat, the very same cat that had been sitting in the driveway the day before. The cat sat in the middle of the street and would not budge. Now, this certain rag muffin cat had a habit of being a bit feisty toward us dogs and a little woo-hoo in the head (you can't see this but I'm twirling my paw next to me head). I had a ring side seat at the livingroom window. This cat just would not move at all for like a good three minutes. Mind you, I'm a stubborn dog, but even I wouldn't stare down a car in the street.

So, as M passed by, the cat, now sitting in the driveway, gave a good hiss my way. The cat then proceeded to walk over and sit in the bed of violets outside the window where I was resting on the window seat. Darned if the psycho cat didn't sit and stare at me with a tongue hanging out to the side.

I finally couldn't stand it and hopped off the window seat and went into another room. It kinda reminded me of opening the window and having some white masked figure with his face mushed against the glass. Freaked me out. I don't like feeling like I'm in a horror flick.

So now whenever M is in the zone, I'm always reminded of that particular cat.

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

Kaijubees Are Here!

Introducing Kaijubees!

I hope you enjoy these icons.  

Bark at you later,

PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

P.S. How do you use these icons?


First of all, Thank-you for downloading my Kaijubee Icons!

Over at InterfaceLIFT, they offer a great FAQ on how to install and use the icons:
http://interfacelift.com/icons-mac/faq.php#1

Or, my directions:
First, create a folder or highlight an existing folder (by mousing over until the image turns grey).
Then at the top of the screen FILE > GET INFO.
Keep this window open while you also highlight (by mousing over) one of the icons you have downloaded.
Repeat, FILE > GET INFO.
While still on the icon GET INFO window, click on the image of the icon until a blue outline appears, then click on EDIT > COPY.
Go back to the window with the folder and make sure there is a blue outline around the image of the folder, then click on EDIT > PASTE. The icon you have downloaded should now appear where the folder icon had been.

If you are trying to replace your Finder and/or Dashboard icons, you'll need to use something like Candybar (http://www.panic.com/candybar/) which can replace system icons.

Memorial Day

Thank-you to all those who gave their lives to protect America. We salute you this Memorial Day.

"United we stand, divided we fall."

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

Follow-Up: Indy 500!

Ok, did you enjoy this race as much as I did?

(Spoilers below)

First, there's the fact that a car driven by Michael Andretti was the official Indiana Jones Car. How cool is that? If only he could have made a pass in the last nine laps, darn.

Then there was the whole TK (Tony Kanaan) going into the outer wall and taking Sarah Fisher with him by accident. That came as a shocker. His parting words were touching and I hope he wins at Indy one of these years.

Also, there was a bright yellow car driven by Carpenter. He was in 16th place and managed to fight his way into 5th before the checkered flag. Awesome.

But by far the best had to be Danica Patrick and Ryan Briscoe. Just as Patrick passes in pit lane, Briscoe came out of the pit and clipped her good. Her axle shot, she spun around and was out for the race. Well, you'd think the story would stop there. As the screen went split screen for the commercials (GoDaddy.com rocks), on the live Indy feed side we see Patrick get out of her car and step, or rather stomp over a hose that got in her way. She then began walking with such strength and determination I was reminded of the old west and the hour hand hitting 12 noon would surely click any minute.

Danica Patrick, with her helmet still on, walks straight toward the Briscoe Pit Area. You could feel the steam rising from her as her steps gained momentum on the black asphalt.  Just as she's peeling her gloves off (and you know what's coming next), the PR woman hurries to hop over the wall and make a bee line for the Briscoe area. A security guy starts trailing Patrick and then is finally side-by-side as Patrick continues in what has to be a tunnel-vision path. Finally, the security guy and an official Indy crew member block her path.

The next time we see her is in the Andretti pit crew area with her head in her arms.

Finally, asked about the incident later, Danica (wearing sunglasses and not smiling in the least bit) says “It’s probably best I didn’t get down there, anyway.” 

What does Brisco say? Well, he blames Patrick. I think anyone watching might agree that Patrick had every right to be fuming.  

And that my racing friends is how a rivalry is born. That's the Brickyard for ya. Refreshing to see a strong woman holding her own in the racing world, isn't it?

Congratulations to Scott Dixon for winning The 92nd Indy 500!

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

Vroom Vroom: Indy 500

Are you geared up for the annual Indy 500 Race? I can't wait to hear the roar of the engines as they make those laps around the brickyard. I love hearing the "Back Home in Indiana" song and I try not to miss that "Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!"
Oh, and I love the milk drinking...don't you?

Here's to a great race this year! Seems those '500 go faster and faster each year.

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

P.S. Happy Birthday H!

Announcement: PeachPoP Prints Available on Our Website!

Warning, a shameless plug follows. :-)

I'm proud to announce that you can now purchase prints on our website www.peachpops.com! We've just revamped the site with an all new portfolio and whimscial art prints which include free shipping in the United States! :-)

These prints are all reproduced from original PeachPoP paintings and are completely different from the prints you'll find on our online Etsy store.

We hope you enjoy our print collection and be sure to keep an eye out for more new and exciting things at PeachPoPs!

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

All Things Dog, Even Licorice?

I admit, I love to indulge in a bit of licorice now and then. Last year, at my local Trader Joe's, a clear box of licorice caught my eye. I couldn't believe that someone somewhere had made what could only be the cutest licorice shape ever-little black Scottish Terrier Dog shaped licorice pieces.

Now I may be a dog, but I don't consider it cannibalism to eat these little guys. After all, I eat animal crackers too. Plus, mmm, dog shaped licorice must taste awful good. And guess what? This licorice is delicious. Soft enough and chewy with a strong taste that evokes memories of rootbeer and anise stars.

Yum.

I'd say the only better way to eat licorice would be if I could ever get my hands on a gun-shaped licorice piece that I once saw in an old rerun of Little House on the Prairie. Laura and her pal decide they're going to rob the Walnut Grove Bank and they use, you guessed it, licorice guns. The only problem? Well, temptation wins out because who could resist that much licorice? :-)

Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog

Dogs in Advertising

The other day as I loafed around on a hot Sunday, I discovered just how many dogs I kept seeing on television. I barked up a storm I tell ya! The overall theme for this season seems to be dogs who like to sleep in their human's beds. First one bloodhound made his human breakfast in bed. Of course this was so the bloodhound could then get the human up and out of the house and then he could rest comfortably in the warm cozy bed himself.

The next one had a small dog already asleep in the human's bed and when "Mommy" comes home, the dog rushes back to his doggie bed at the foot of the bed on the floor.

This got me to thinking about how much dogs are utilized in advertising. Dogs project a sense of family, home, loyalty, and comical relief in the advertising world. Some dogs are goofy and provide a whimsical nature to the ad, while others are just so darn cute that you can't help but watch. Dogs connect people to other people too. If you love dogs, you're probably more likely to watch a commercial with a dog in it then one without. Come to think of it, I catch myself watching the ads with any animal.

So, the next time you're catching an episode of Lost or flipping through Vogue, check out the ads. I bet you'll find a dog or two.

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

Good Morning Southern California!

Have you been drinking a lot of water lately?

I know I've increased my water intake with the onset of this wonky heat wave. The temperature has been hovering around 90ºF to 95ºF and dropping to a whopping low of 70ºF at night! Now, I'm a furry dog with wavy long hair and I like the temperature to be around 65ºF. Yes, that's my ideal and happy temperature. I'm not too hot and I'm not too cold (and no I'm not Goldilocks, lol).

But this heat is causing the lemons to drop from the tree and the flowers to wilt. Poor little violets. I went to take a trot over to Mocha's house and the sidewalk made my paws feel like they were dancing on a waffle iron. Yikes!

So, stay cool folks and fur-folks.

Drink lots of water and use your sunscreen. It's gonna be a scorcher this summer.

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

Update: Tinkering Around PeachPoPs.com

So I was tinkering around with the code on our website www.peachpops.com and decided to do some spring cleaning of tags etc..
This is an on-going project, as I always seem to find something I need to remove (such as <'s or td's, or the ever popular "span"). Somehow there always seems to be a lingering tag, like a pink dust bunny hovering in the corner as the vacuum cleaner makes a third pass across the pine floor.

As I was cleaning up the code, I decided to go ahead and redo the portfolio. After all, there's been a lot more art since the website launched. If you'd like, feel free to check out the new and improved portfolio .

I hope you like the new portfolio. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion.

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

Saturday Means Sleeping In, Right?

My paws twitched as I frolicked in a meadow of skunk cabbage. Suddenly a buzzing sound could be heard far off beyond the line of pine trees. My paws left the dew grass, which tickled like little fairy fingers at my furry legs, and I felt the warmth of my cotton comforter under my belly.

One brown eye opened to a darkened bedroom. I lifted an ear to catch the direction of the annoying buzz which felt like needles piercing into my skull. The buzzing had a high pitched screech that pulsated until I almost let out a bark in frustration. What creature could possibly be making such an earth rattling sound before the sun has risen?

Oh yes, but of course, it is my arch enemy. I trotted over to my enemy, who sat perched on the night stand with a glowing grin of devil-red digital numbers. Sitting down, I kept watch over the vile creature until a hand reached out and made the thing finally fall back to sleep. At this point, my teeth bared at the rectangular thing and I growled under my breath.

::Buzzz::

The thing dared to make a sound once again! Before the hand could reach the demonic creature again, I opened my mouth and took hold of the boxy devil. I took off running, but I didn't anticipate the long tail which flapped behind like a limp hose. Somehow the tail had enough time to take hold of the wall once my teeth had grabbed hold.

Rounding the bed with a quick snap, the tail broke free and the creature fell to the wood floor in the hall where I skidded to a halt. The devil-red numbers no longer flickered and the creature gave no lasting gasp.

I dropped to the ground, head on paws, and blinked back tears. What had I done? Surely, this creature was just playing dead.
I reached out a paw and nudged the boxy thing. No movement. The tail didn't wiggle. The buzzing sound did not resume.

I waited until the sun cast rays across the floor planks and a hand reached down to pat my head.

"What's this? she said.

I looked up at her, unable to answer with anything but my downcast eyes. With that, she picked up the creature and walked it back to it's resting place on the night stand. I trotted behind and sat while she placed the creature upright and stuck the tail in the wall. My eyes widened at the sight of flickering boxy red numbers. Alive! I hadn't killed the poor thing.

Fast forward to this morning. I awoke to a horrible sound. I stretched my back legs, snarled at the dark skies outside and walked over to the creature. Blinking innocently, the creature buzzed once more before I reach out and patted the thing on it's plastic head like I had seen done before. Now comforted, the creature quieted and went back to sleep.

However, If the creature doesn't learn about Saturday soon, I'm betting a couple more trips to the hall will do the trick. And if all else fails, there's always the backyard vegetable garden. A little blue tail-free buzzer took a one-way trip there awhile back. And the corn* has never tasted so delicious.

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


(*For those Stephen King fans out there, the "corn" is a familiar reference. And yes, butter and a little salt, yum.)

Beauty is... a Bald Eagle in Idaho

When I first saw this image, I didn't see the obvious focus of the photo. First, I must confess, I love looking at the eyes of a bird. So, naturally, I only saw the eyes and my doggie mind must have "filled" in the missing parts of the image. Then I looked again and saw the missing upper beak.

While listening to this news story, the reporter made some comment about the name "Beauty" being quite ironic since the Eagle is disfigured. Well, I disagree. Beauty is absolutely beautiful, much like Georgiana in "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Aylmer-like comment left me curious enough to find out more about this majestic eagle.

Beauty, a seven year old Bald Eagle, lost her uppear beak to a bullet. They've been hand-feeding Beauty since her rescue from a landfill in Alaska. In June, a bionic upper beak will be attached with either glue or screws. This artificial bionic beak will aid in drinking water, preening, and eating (though not tearing of meat, according to some experts).

I bet Beauty will adapt quite nicely to this new beak. In fact, I'll even say Beauty might just surprise everyone at how well she adapts to the new beak.

After all, this bird has a not only a fighting spirit, but the American fighting spirit. Rock on Beauty!

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

Farewell Ling-Ling

(Photo by Eduardo Verdugo / AP)

Ling-Ling was Japan's oldest living Giant Panda at 22 years of age. Not only was Ling-Ling a star at the Tokyo Zoo, but this little "darling" (Ling-Ling means "little darling") was a symbol of friendship with China. Ling-Ling died due to old age.

There is something so majestic and beautiful about Pandas. Perhaps it's the visual contrast of black and white fur that is, at the least, strikingly gorgeous. Or maybe the cuddle-like appearance of a big black-and-white bear with sad looking eyes is the real grabber. I'm not sure. Either way, the panda is a special animal.

As for Ling-Ling, we salute you Ling-Ling. You will be sorely missed around the world. Your presence here will never be forgotten.

In honor of Ling-Ling, please feel free to download an iPhone wallpaper of a Panda here.


Bark at you later,
PJ the dog blogging dog

Language is Beautiful: Lollygagging

Yes, even a dog like me can appreciate the beauty of language. My ears perk up when I hear new words. I take a fancy to alliterative phrases and I'm a sucker for a floofy description.

The other day I fell in love with the word lollygagging. According to Webster's Dictionary:

lollygag |ˈlälēˌgag| (also lallygag)
verb ( -gagged, -gagging) [ intrans. ] informal

spend time aimlessly; idle : >he sends her to Arizona every January to lollygag in the sun.
• dawdle : we're lollygagging along.
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: of unknown origin.

I think I took a fancy to this particular word since I tend to do a lot of lollygagging around the yard, the neighborhood, the house, and the studio.

Is it just me or do you read the dictionary for fun too?

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

Earth Day: Ten Easy Ideas To Help Save the Earth

So, how did you celebrate Earth Day? I think of Earth Day as an all year long event. Here are some easy ideas to help the environment all year long and without much effort:

Instead of bottled water, try using a filtered water pitcher. By doing that you're reducing the land fill.

Provide a simple bird feeder and a bird bath in the backyard for a habitat sanctuary where birds can thrive.

Bring your own grocery bags to the grocery store to save on plastic bags.

Pull weeds instead of using herbicide.

Try replacing one household cleaner with either baking soda or vinegar. They work great!

When you purchase a six pack of soda, be sure to cut the plastic holder before discarding. You just helped a fish or mammal not get caught.

Use old magazines to fold your own envelopes.

Find a new use for something you're about to throw away (A two liter soda bottle into a purse? Yep.)

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Just think if everyone did that!

Finally, plant something in your yard. Growing something like lavender, rosemary, or mint is a breath of fresh air for us all.

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

BFF's: A Dog and a Sheep

Yes, a dog and a sheep can be best friends. In our local news, I heard about a dog and a sheep who were found walking down a street in Mission Hills (Chatsworth, California). A pizza man by the name of John Caruso stopped to rescue the pair before they made it onto the freeway. John is our hero for the week! You can read the full story here and here and the follow-up here, and the photos of the pair can be found here.

Seeing the video of the pair on the news made me smile. Apparently the sheep had been placed in a separate area and had difficulty being away from the dog when they first arrived at the shelter. Needless to say, the two didn't want to be apart.

Now that's friendship.

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

Watch Out Here They Come

Sure, you've seen them sitting on the grass in the yard. Maybe they're munching on some sweet stalks of yellow grass. But watch out. They could be zombie bunnies.

The other day M saw one bunny sitting innocently outside. Then, when she looked again, there were two bunnies. It just so happened I'd been watching the daily dog news and caught some breaking news about cannibalistic bunnies roaming about. To my shock, there were two unsubs in the yard. What to do? Well, I did what any dog would do in my situation. I barked up a storm until M came and rubbed my belly and then I stared at the critters outside.

Maybe they're just an urban legend around these parts. But I'm not taking any chances. I checked the dog bulletin blog and what do you know? The bunny from the yard is wanted in three counties for munching on...Easter eggs. The horror!

I'm on the look-out. The unsubs could return. I'll keep you informed.

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