Snuggable Pugs

The other day I saw another Pug! Now, I've seen quite a few and I even play Canasta with a few Pug pals
(whattup Caleb and Coal!), but this little guy was a fawn doll baby. The cute little folds. black button nose, and snuffing noise they make is just endearing.

Also, awhile back, one of M's clients attached a cute pic of two Pugs. Needless to say, between my endless jibber jabber about the cute little Pug and the client's image, the resulting artwork above came to be.

Snug-a-Pug!

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

Oops, That Wasn't Mango Juice!

Friday turned out to be hot here in Southern California. Not a dry hot, but rather a sticky hot. I'm covered in fur and sticky hot is not exactly my favorite type of weather. I mean, come on, it's like wearing a fur coat all year. Holy mackerol, I'm wearing a fur coat! Grrr.

Back to the topic at paw.

So, being a little thirsty, I decided to grab a bowl of some juice. After one lick, I found out I hadn't poured fresh mango juice into my silver dog bowl. Oh no, no whatever I'd poured did not taste sweet. There was no delicious floral after taste. My lips quivered and I let out an involuntary yelp to M when the sour concoction hit the back of my tongue. She came over and saw I'd poured myself a nice bowl of chilled lemon juice. Yikes!

Needless to say, I've learned my lesson. Always check before gulping down a liquid. And never ever assume you know a juice by color.

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

Happy 4th of July!

God Bless America!

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

Tutorial: How to Use and/or Install Mac Icons !

Now that you've downloaded an icon set, are you feeling a little lost? It's a question I've been asked a lot lately, so don't feel alone. Below I've taken you through the process of installing or using your first custom icon. I know I learn best through photos, so I've included screenshots for each step along the way.



Step 1: First, click on the zip file (like the one below). A file containing the icons will open on your desktop. I always think of this like a little surprise gift!

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Step 2: Below I've chosen an "untitled folder" as the icon I want to replace. I'll be replacing the "untitled folder" icon with our very own "Fuji Finder" icon included in the Kaijubees Icon set at www.peachpops.com. (Note: If you'd like to replace the "finder icon" with the "Fuji Finder" icon, you'll need a program like Panic's CandyBar.)

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Step 3: Place your cursor over the icon you'd like to use and click once. This will highlight the icon on your desktop as seen below. Then you'll want to go to the Finder Menu and under FILE scroll down to the "Get Info" (or Apple and the letter I) and click again.

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Step 4: Below you'll see the Finder Information window that appears when you "Get Info." Now you'll want to click on the icon that appears in the Finder Information window. A small blue outline will appear around the icon in the Finder Information window.

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Step 5: Still keeping the Finder Information window open, go to the Finder Menu>EDIT>COPY (or Apple and the letter C).


Important : Do not close the "Finder Information" window yet.

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Step 6: Still keeping the Finder Information window (will be dimmed like below) on the desktop, repeat Step 3 and Step 4 for the icon you want to replace.

Important : Do not close the "Finder Information" windows yet.

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Step 7: Now, with the blue highlight around the icon in the "Finder Information" window, go to the Finder Menu>EDIT>PASTE (or Apple and the letter P).





Ta da! Just like magic, you're "untitled folder" icon has been replaced with the "Fuji Finder" icon!




The final result looks like this:




Pat yourself on the back! Wasn't that easy? Essentially it's a copy and paste.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and drop me a line if you find it useful!

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

Could it be Tuesday Already?

Good Morning!

Are you having a great Tuesday already?
Well, if you are, great. If not, read on for a little smile to start your day.


A week or so ago I heard a familiar sound in the backyard. Kaw kaw. The cries of a crow were distinct even over the hum of the air conditioner.

I trotted over to the window and peeked out. Far off in the gated vegetable garden, a big black crow huddled in the corner. I could see it's red throat each time the little fella gave out a kaw. Now, baby crows are quite big and really the only way I can tell the difference is in their behavior. A baby crow will likely keep flapping it's tar black wings and crying at another crow until that crow (most likely Momma or Daddy Crow) takes it's beak and empties the goodies into the beak of the baby crow.

Another hint is the sight of a red throat aimed up at the sky. The babies are super hungry all the time. It almost sounds like they're saying "Maw maw maw" over and over.

The little fella in our garden had found a cozy spot near the climbing Cecil Bruner and an overhanging crimson bougainvillaea.
What caught my eye had to have been the wing that the baby crow wasn't lifting off of the bricks. In fact, the crow hadn't been off the bricks for the few minutes I'd been watching.

I got distracted by a cup of coffee, but returned to the window around 7pm and saw the crow still there. Other crows sat above on the fence looking down at the poor little guy. I watched as the crow jumped and tried to make it to the fence, but his little wing flopped useless by his side.

Oh no, a broken wing. Not a good thing for a bird.

M got sight of what had caught my attention. After googling about what could be done, the sun had set and we had a crying crow in the yard after dark.

Since we have a bird already, we didn't have any cage to keep the bird in. Plus, if we touched the crow, the parents might not return to feed their baby.

It was decided we would keep watch on the crow, now dubbed "Broken Wing." Doing so would mean a sleepless night, but it was worth the loss of a few zzz's.

Our only wish was for the crow to make it through the night and for no predators...

To be continued...

Little Bunny Foo Foo

This little bunny is eating lemons in the backyard. Being a considerate doggie, I'm not going to rush out and bark at the top of my lungs. Nor will I leap through the air in a giant, but gentle, pounce.

I wuv bunnies. They are so cute and make me talk gibberish when I see a little bunny foo foo.

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

We'll Miss You Stan Winston

A master of monsters, Stan Winston will live forever in the characters he created through the art of special f/x and makeup.

Thank-you for all the scares!

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

We'll Miss You Stan Winston

R.I.P.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Friday the 13th !

What is it about Friday the 13th? I used to love the day as a pup. The marathon of Friday the 13th movies with Jason and his mother terrorizing people in water, on land, and even space. Shucks, a good axe, a bucket of blood, and a few screams mean I'm one happy dog.

These days I can't help but remain a bit cautious on a day like today. For instance, M went in to grab some water and salmon for a BBQ this weekend and the other M and I waited in the car. Well, just our luck, a huge gas truck pulls up next to us. Then, the hoses are brought out. Then the squeal of gas sounds start up. Finally, as my eyes are glued to the hoses and the high-pitched sound as gas leaks from ancient corroded hoses, I spy the nozzle. The nozzle had a nice sized hose attached. But the interesting part was the cloud of white gaseous substance leaking around the loose connection.

Ok, and that's where the 13th comes in to play. So, I'm thinking that since my luck tends to be fussy, I kept thinking good thoughts. "No, this gas leak is nothing. No worries. Be happy."

Then the Final Destination movies begin playing in my doggie mind. Look for the signs. Any slips of paper with the word "gas" being tossed about by a sudden change of wind? Nope. Any reflections of a passing bus? Nope, phew.

Paranoid beyond help, I let out a bark. The guy holding one of the hoses just looks my way curiously.

Is he smoking? I thought for sure I could smell cherry tobacco somewhere. Lit cigar, flammable gas, no escape. The thoughts are racing and I'm in a car with a full gas tank too.

M patted me on the head, and if reading my mind said, "Don't worry kiddo."

With that reassurance, I dropped my head to the window sill. I let out a deep sigh.

But I couldn't help keeping one eye on the car window near us, just in case that bus reflection should appear.

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

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