What I Learned in August

This month I learned some little lessons:

Ants are voracious

Humidity and fur do not mix well

Taco lasagna is delicious

Parakeets love celery

Sand in between my paws feels like glass

Rootbeer is absolutely delicious

Hot sidewalk=Sizzling paws

Barking inside a high vaulted room really hurts my ears

Doves cooing make me sleepy

I love ice

I dislike ants with a vengeance...

That concludes this months little life lessons.

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

Happy Birthday!

A BIG Happy Birthday to someone special!

May all your wishes come true...

Hugs,
PJ the dog blogging dog :-)

Strange Dreams

Sometimes I have strange doggie dreams.

Awhile back I had a whopper! I dreamed of a little birdie who had a broken wing (probably due to the crow incident in the backyard). Now this little blue bird happened to be quite clever about his predicament. With each passing day, he'd collect little bones here and there and create a makeshift wing. It wasn't too long after that the wing began working.

I awoke right when he took flight off of a high branch on the fig tree. The makeshift bone wing drooped a little more than the other wing, but the flap of wings was beautiful.

And so, M painted the image above.

Perhaps the story of the bionic bird Beauty I blogged about really embedded itself into my mind. Who knows.
Strange how my mind makes stories while I'm sleeping.

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

Saturday is Like Sunday

Today feels like Sunday. Don't you think so?

As I was out making a stroll around the block, I caught the whiff of a BBQ. Smokey billows of yumminess drifted through the air and I realized someone somewhere had to be roasting a butternut squash. I know, weird huh?

Then I thought, oh boy, it must be Sunday. I love Sunday because sometimes just as the sherbert sun is about to dip from the cyan sky, M will grab me and we'll head to Balboa to catch a sunset right on the shores edge. There's nothing like digging my paws into the sand and watching the magic that occurs when the day becomes night. Plus, I love a good splash in the salty water.

Alas, I arrived home to discover junk mail. Shucks! Junk mail means it's Saturday. Of course, I love to "recycle" the junk mail for M and M, but still, that doesn't beat the sky turning colors of caterpillar orange, lobster reds, and fluffy puffs of cotton candy pink.

So, today turned out to be Saturday and tomorrow will be the day I thought today was and could have been.

Umm, only five more hours. :-)

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

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 :-)