a pixel pusher's personal blog...

Happy Birthday...

2010-01-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

...Fritzi baby!

Your are one year old and VERY handsome, VERY sweet, and so VERY cute...
Remember when you arrived here?

This picture was taken by Peter Richardson, the very talented resident photographer.

Happy! Healthy! Prosperous!

2010-01-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

... 2010!
Fritzi was alone at home. He was NOT pleased.

Peter captured Fritzi through the reflective screen of the living room window in between howls.

Fritzi then and now...

2009-12-30T15:16:00.000-08:00

... tail up!

Look at that little scaredy-dog that was Fritzi after two days here. His tail was tucked under and he was so small, thin, scared, pink skin showing through his coat, velcroed to my heels... 'don't leave me!', 14 lbs.

Today he is the great white hunter that slays elephants, donkeys, socks, and monkeys. His tail is up, confidence up, territory established, still velcroed to my side, 26 lbs.

Forget the lack of pedigree, Fritzi, you are an awesome dog!

Delegate!

2009-12-17T12:54:00.000-08:00

Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts...

2009-12-03T17:08:00.000-08:00

...The best book I've read in years, perhaps ever!

This book was recommended by a friend whose usual reading would be of the intellectual, spiritual, or academic variety. My type of read is more like brain candy, novels for entertainment, thrillers, and, occasionally, trade books. I reluctantly started reading this book when she loaned it to me, and then I couldn't put it down again.

I won't attempt to summarize it, it's been done much better than I could do here. It'll grab you, guaranteed. There are few people I've heard of who have lived their lives as intensely as this author has and can write about it in such a way that leaves you breathless at the beauty of it. There is only a couple of authors I can think of that come close, in my estimation, to the story-telling ability of Gregory David Roberts, and those are James Clavell and Herman Wouk.

Dog dismembers and eviscerates elephant...

2009-11-29T13:48:00.000-08:00

... toy!

Poor elephant! Happy Fritzi!

The advantages of storms...

2009-11-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

... when walking Fritzi on the beach.

The white-capped waves clean the beach of all slippery, nasty seaweed. There was tons of it last week. They bring in the sand that covers the rocks. The sand is packed down and wet and you walk on it like on a street. If you are facing the right way, the wind is at your back and rolls little bits of shell, leaves, and seaweed down the beach and that's where it became apparent. Fritzi chases those teasing bits of flying debris, runs and runs, plays, and has a ball. So, with the right gear, such as a Hally Hansen rain slicker and Viking boots you can spend an hour walking the beach, laugh yourself silly at Fritzi's antics, who, of course, is also equipped with fleece-lined rain gear.

Mind you, today is the third serious windstorm in 10 days. The third power outage, the third deluge that causes flooding in places. A couple of days ago there was a state of emergency declared in Courtenay due to floods.

But Frizi, being a dog, has to go outside again. So, on with the rain gear and out we go.

The little devil's...

2009-11-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

...sticks.

I'm home from being away at doggydo.org. (My mommy had her second cataract surgery.) Everyone is convinced that I had a good time there, and the daily email updates and pictures show what a good dog I was. Nobody asked me.

Well, I guess I didn't exactly suffer, I played with some other marooned dogs and was in the warm house at night. But just before my release I was given a bath, got my nails clipped and, geez, my eyebrows trimmed! THAT DID IT. Today, I ripped that "good dog image" to shreds and tried on my devil's horns. Emptied the waste paper basket, ripped tissues apart, ripped some magazines to shreds, took a bit out of the dining room carpet underlay, threw my toys around, demolished another squeaker in a toy, took that sock ball apart, asserted my male terrier identity!!

It was s a busy day! I'll sleep well tonight!

Another thing. My treasure box of sticks. I find those and bring them home. My mommy helped me a little bit with the very big stick, it was very hard to carry that one by myself, but the others I did all on my own. I can't take them into the house, although I try every time. So we put them into the wood box and sometimes, when we go for another walk, I take one of those sticks and carry it with me.

Fritzi signing off.

Fritzi belly-surfs...

2009-10-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

... the steep sand bank.

New Parents...

2009-10-23T21:03:00.001-07:00

... to Emily!

Congratulations!

As long as the puppy is still at the breeder, go home and sleep, sleep, sleep! Emily will keep you hopping when she moves in. Look at the breeder's photo blog with commentary, excellent and funny! (Sorry in German only)

Fritzi says hello from Canada. He is now sleeping in his Kuranda bed, nicely away from the cold floor, he also stopped barking at the neighbour's scary Halloween masks that decorate each fence post. Fritzi is also getting stronger. The little pile of sticks on the wood pile by the front door is growing and the latest prize is longer than Fritzi is... if he keeps bringing sticks home, I won't have to cut kindling for the fireplace.

Dogs...

2009-10-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

... the Swiss way.

Tobias and Sandra are a couple of weeks away from becoming parents of a Golden Retriever puppy. So sweet are they, and the progress of these little puppy-dogs so well described, it's a joy to follow it. Of course it's better if you read German. But even if you don't, the pictures speak for themselves. Sunny Moon of Ice Pond - strange name, English, but cute dogs and well presented site.

Rub-a-dub-dub...

2009-09-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

... bath day for Fritzi.

Behold a squeaky-clean, face all washed, wet Fritzi. Being a typical boy-dog, he gets into dirt, sand, mud, digging, chasing birds, catching bugs and slimy things. He was so dirty, into the deep laundry sink he went. I think he is embarrassed, because he actually likes a bath, especially getting wrapped into a couple of big towels and being rubbed dry. Now he is white and fluffy--and he smells good. The bath water was black!

Did I tell you that Fritzi is a working dog? He is working on taking the pounds off me by demanding long walks every day. He is doing a great job!

Please help Turtle Gardens win the Shelter Challenge that started again a few days ago. They can win a much needed money prize. They are second in Canada already. If you have several browsers, vote from each. Every day. It's a few minutes of your time that can make a huge difference for the organization that does so much for dogs in need of rescue.

Fritzi is from there. From the time he was rescued by Turtle Gardens as a 4 months old puppy, until he arrived here, he benefitted from their hospitality for well over 6 weeks. I am sure that the time spent in Yvette's care made him a better dog. Just read Yvette's blog--she is one woman who knows everything there is to know about dogs!

How do they do it?

2009-08-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

... look at you with that face?

Especially after they just lost their hearing for 15 minutes and completely ignore your commands. Or after chewing off the second chest lead halter (at $32 a pop). Fritzi looks at me with those eyes and I melt. He knows that... the little manipulator.

Sleeping...

2009-08-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

... Fritzi

Taking a little nap at my feet. Looks so innocent. Not so when he very carefully takes one of my slippers into his mouth and then tip-toes by me. He knows I'll see it, take the shoe away, put it back with the other one. So far the little monster has managed to keep me on my toes, and get attention, without destroying anything important... Touch wood!

My guests at the studio just left. Lovely people, as always. So now, rather than working at my computer, it's time to go do laundry and clean the Room and Beach studio. Have you seen the new pictures yet?

Fritzi...

2009-08-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

... at play

You know it is a little like having a new baby in the house. You don't sleep as well or as long. The day is fragmented into Fritzi time and working time... Fritzi time is a large chunk of time. In turn he entertains...

Mind you, when there is a dead baby seal on the beach, all bets are off, the dog is being a dog, and you can call him until the cows come home.

At what temparature...

2009-07-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

...does a living human melt?

It is so hot here, I think I'll rent a walk-in fridge and move in. By the water it's "only" about 30 degrees, but they've reported over 40 degrees in some places in BC. Then they said this is the mid-point of the heat wave! MID-POINT?! It's been too long already!

Fritzi is a limp rag and even ice cubes don't help much. Frisbee is out today.

Fritzi...

2009-07-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

... the star!

Fritzi likes broccoli...

2009-07-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

... not fruit, nor carrots.
Broccoli. Enough of that vegetable source and perhaps he stops eating deer poop.

Bump on a log...

2009-07-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

... geez, I am exhausted!

Fritzi: First I ran on the beach in the morning. Had to dig a few holes, some pretty deep, lot of work, to see if I can reach China. Then we went for a car ride. I made it without getting sick, but it was close.

Then I was introduced to a lot of other dogs at a pretty cool place. Some were annoying little puppies that fell all over each other to meet me. Cute, my mom thought, but, of course I had to show them that I am a big boy now. After I moped a bit that my mommy left me there, I played and ran and played and played with the big dogs.

Now we are back at the beach again. I didn't want to sit on that stupid log, she made me do it.

Why is ocean water fun?

2009-07-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

... and rain is not?

Fritzi: I know it's a gui-duck shell, but I let her pretend it's a frisbie.

When it was raining Fritzi looked like drowned rat... wet, head down, ears droopy, shivering slightly, not amused. But, go on the beach and throw a beach frisbie into the water, there's no hesitation to get wet.

I am starting to suspect that he only gets that wet, salty and sandy because he wants to be enveloped into a towel and dried off all over. He loves that.

Beachbum Fritzi...

2009-07-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

... everything's new!
Aaaah, the beach. Sand, water, shells, rocks, holes that spit, birds, kites, sun... all of it is fun!
So this is the beach...

Oh joy, I can dig and nobody is stopping me!

It's a shell, but it flies like a frisbie...

Dry land is that-a-way...

Velcro-Fritzi...

2009-07-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

... first days
Well, Fritzi is like velcro. Like an outgrowth on my heels. Like a footwarmer. I read on Yvette's blog that someone did not adopt a dog because of similar behaviour Fritzi displays. He is nervous... no wonder, wouldn't you be after being yanked out of your den, travel for a day and a half, and then put into another den with a completely new pack?

He sticks with me like glue, I don't need a leash on the property, he is never out of my sight, because he keeps me in his. He has accepted me as his alpha dog and is VERY obedient. He knows 'no' very well and always stops what he is doing when he hears it.

We are starting to know each other's schedule. After he 'marked' in three different rooms, which I caught and immediately corrected, I raided my hamper and distributed towels and pillow cases around the house. I read here that this marks the house with my scent. We'll see how well it works. The same article gives very good advice about basic training for you and your puppy, without mincing words.

And he is fun. Loves squeaky toys. Has something to chew on at all times. He's already bringing back the frisby I throw.

Good dog, Fritzi! When you are grown, you'll be an awesome one.

Fritzi is here...

2009-06-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

... what a trip!
I let him tell it:

Let's go to bed, it's 2:30 in the morning!

There is another dog here! In the bedroom...

I've seen him!

Is he scared of me?

Kind of cute...

Where am I? Sooooo many new smells!

Fritzi here. Gosh that was a long trip. Where am I? What am I supposed to think at 11:30 at night when I was taken out of my nice van and put into a strange car? I found a cookie on the seat, and I nibbled on it, but was too tired, confused, and scared to do much else than tuck myself quietly into a corner, and, do you believe it, slept.

My new mommy didn't let me sulk for too long after we arrived at her (strange) place at 12:45 am. It was pitch dark with strange noises, was that water? We walked around in the grass until I finally clued in that I was to pee and poop before we could go inside. I felt safest to just velcro myself to the new mommy at her heels, and when she sat down for a bit and gave me the monkey to play with, I felt a lot better.

Can you believe it? She let me sleep on her bed. I was worried that I would have to sleep in that crate I saw, but I could snuggle against her on the bed. It got to be 2:30 am until she finally turned off the light. We both slept until 11:00 am. Got up, went outside, had some food and water, went for a little walk. But I?ve decided to take it slow. There is so much I?ve never smelled, seen, or heard before; it?s little scary, but my mommy sais, it?s not scary, it?s a new adventure.

Did you know she has another dog here? I saw it, it?s in the bedroom and stays there.

That?s it, I am taking a nap now. I?ll write again soon.

WASPS!

2009-06-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

... in the box!
Don't knock those boxes off the dresser in the shed... the wasps won't like it.

#1 Pest Control, Rick Feller, the best bug guy around, was here twice to do his deed, but still, I didn't want to get too close, the blooming bush close by was still buzzing.
That's it, I am getting rid of all those 'just-in-case' things that invite this kinds of construction... :-)

Fritzi arrives on Sunday...

2009-06-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

... Yippee!
Just called Yvette of Turtle Gardens to ask when we can expect Fritzi. They are so busy there, I was reluctant to push. Well, Fritzi will be on his way tomorrow, together with a few of his friends, driven to Mission first and then to Nanaimo on Sunday. The trip is 14 hours! Holy cow, that's a long way to go every time to deliver dogs in and around BC.

They travel at night, so the dogs sleep in the van, and by the time they get to their destination they are seasoned car travellers.

There will be pictures! Lots of them.