Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Meet my pal, nutty Buddy!

This is my new pal Buddy. He's a big old goofball puppy, about a year old. He's part black lab and (Mommy thinks) part pit bull. He's really sweet and loves to chase the ball as much as I do. 

He also can lie down absolutely flat. Like a pancake. I can do a froggy position, but not as flat as this!

He sometimes mows me down when we're both going for the tennis ball, so I decided to look along the marsh where I thought we lost one the other day...

Look at the nice view from Buddy's back yard! The tide was almost all the way in.

Hmmm, maybe we dropped the ball out here in the marsh? Whaddya mean you don't want me to dive headfirst into the fluff mud, Mommy?

Buddy cools off his belly in the grass while I go on the ball search.

Mommy took some great videos, but we couldn't get them to load. Maybe tomorrow. Now look at silly Buddy—that's no way to hold onto a tennis ball. He's a lot of fun, when he's not clobbering me!

I went down to the beach again this morning and my new friend Brownie - a Yorkie/Chihuahua mix - came tearing down the beach to play with me. He likes to chase the dog that's chasing the ball. And a few minutes later, we were joined by a white terrier/Maltese mix named Casper. We three fellas had a grand time, getting every kid on the beach to throw the ball for us. Maybe we'll get some photos of them later this week!

Monday, July 27, 2009

It's Terrier Time!

It's almost 4:00 pm on Monday afternoon. The golf course at the country club nearby is closed for maintenance and that means... it's TERRIER TIME!!!

Back in the bike basket I go and we're off to the 9th tee box to meet my Island doggie friends.

Here's Honey, our hostess. She had on her party bandana and she barks alot to make sure everyone's having a great time. I brought along a tennis ball and she liked to chase me as I chased the ball...
And this cute little Border Terrier is Maggie. Isn't she adorable? Border Terriers really do look like otters, don't they? She did an excellent job posing for the camera. (Once we told them that I had my own bloggie, they all wanted to be on it!)

I'm taking a break while a couple more doggies arrive. These two Bichons are very friendly - we've met at Terrier Time before but I forgot their names!

The black dog looks so much like my buddy Bear, I ran right up to her before I realized "he" was actually a slightly smaller "she." That's Muffie. And the sparkling white Westie gal is Savannah. They were scoring snacks from Muffie's Dad.

Muffie was jumping straight up in the air but Mommy could never capture it on film. Maggie just laughed at her.
Isn't Muffie a pretty girl? She could be Bear's little sister!

Here's the smiling Bichon whose name I've forgotten! Yikes!

And here's Savannah, posing for the camera. Mommy and I went for a big long walk on the beach this morning and we met another little Westie girl named Daisy who is a friend of Savannah's! Now, granted, we're on an Island, but still - it's 15 miles long!

Ah Honey, try as you might, you can't catch me! Or get to the ball before I do!

There were some rumbles of thunder, so Terrier Time ended early. But first, Honey wanted to try out my new bike basket. She wasn't so sure of it at first. 

But then her Mom took her for a ride down the street and she just loved it too! Looks like we're going to have lots of biking doggies on the Island before too long!

Honey insists on a bike liner that matches her fancy bandana! No problem!

P.S. We did get home before the thunderstorm hit. There was one incredibly LOUD clap of thunder that made both me and Mommy jump! So I sat her lap for the next hour to calm her down. After the storm passed, there was a rainbow that stretched all the way across the Island and a gorgeous fireball of a sunset. No photos...of course!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Can you stand it???

Greetings from my AWESOME new bike basket! Look at my crazy, wind-blown hair and my big ol' bologna tongue flapping in the breeze! (Well, it was pretty darn hot out and the humidity is never good for my beachified hair.) Yep, that's right - we got in an hour of playing on the beach AND a 5 mile bike ride before lunch today!

Wheeeeee! An action shot! 

Last night, Mommy's friends Jeanee and John invited her and her friend Karen to go out onthe Pau Hana, their giant catamaran. It's big enough that 50 passengers can go onboard at once!

I helped out behind the wheel while John pointed out some friendly dolphins. (Sorry little man, Mommy was too slow to get the camera pointed in the right direction in time!)

It was the perfect night for a sail, with enough wind to hoist the sails and cut off the engine.

Look at this beautiful sunset over Calibogue Sound!

Here's another shot of Karen admiring the view. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday evening!
In truth, I was home, snoring on the couch. Mommy took me to Harbour Town in the afternoon where I got a whole vanilla ice cream all to myself, so I was in the midst of food coma! 

More fun to come!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Creatures from the deep!

Back in the States, spending some time with Mommy down at the beach. Been making some new friends.

This guy never tries to get the ball from me. And he always lets me get there first when Mommy throws the ball...

He must be a Gooberhorseshoe Crab because he is ginormous, just like Stanley of Gooberstan.

Then I met this six-foot long alligator and another ginormous crabbie! They didn't have much to say either.

This morning we got up and went for a run and swim at the beach - all before breakfast! Dogs can only be on the beach before 10:00 am and after 5:00 p.m. in the summertime. Which is fine with me, because it gets too hot during the day. I met a couple of twin girls, adorable and just 3 1/2 years old who were great at throwing the ball once they got the hang of it. 

Later on this morning, Mommy has promised to take me for another bike ride in the new bike basket. I L-O-V-E it and if Mommy was only talented enough to be able to ride AND take a photo of us, we'd share it with you. You'll just have to wait. 

Now, I've got to go back to my duties of guarding the back deck from squirrels and alligators and great blue herons!


Friday, July 24, 2009

The last word on the subject...


I think a picture does indeed say a thousand words.... Apologies if Lacie's date was actually named Willard.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Petey and Rosie go undercover...


Just in time for Wordless Wednesday, two very private shots of us after the wedding...



Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Our Wedding Day - Part 3 - The Reception

For our wedding reception, we chartered a schooner to sail up and down the coast of Roseisle, the beautiful beach where Rosie loves to play with Gabbi, Snoop and Alfie.

We even had the mainsail specially designed with our crest from the wedding invitation. The Scottish and American flags were both flying—sorry we couldn't fly the flags of all of our international guests!

After the blender fiasco at the Abbey, we wanted to make sure Lacie behaved herself at the reception. So Hammish told her there was a lady onboard who was even more beautiful than Lacie...more beautiful than Rosie even!

Naturally, Lacie insisted on meeting her and demonstrating how she put the "Pit" in Pittsburgh. Hee hee, when she leaned over to growl at the figurehead, her antler headdress caught in the nets and she spent most of the cruise lashed to the bow! Ahhh, you could actually hear the lapping of the waves instead of her infernal blender (and the wind soon drowned out her shrieking!)

Disaster averted.

Of course, we should have been cautious when Tanner told us he wanted to provide a band for the wedding reception.


Luckily, they took one look at the Lacie figurehead and ran away!

Rosie changed into a gorgeous rosy red gown for the reception. She greeted our guests as they came aboard....

Mica, still cautious about all those dogs, decided to hang out in the rigging, where he had a lovely conversation with Asta (they're old friends), who was perched on Stanley's shoulders, and Gabbi and Jake.

As favors for our guests, we presented everyone with a Scottish quaich — a two-handled cup—perfect for sharing a wee dram with a loved one. Eric Square Dog didn't waste a minute trying his out with his lady love Toffee.
Apparently, she's not much of a tibbler, and the Doghouse Pinot Grigio we were pouring went right to her cute freckled head!

(NOTE: Doghouse is a REAL winery in the United States and a percentage of their profits go towards Guide Dogs for the Blind. If you're going to indulge, do it for a worthy cause!)

As the sunset, Mango and Sophie Brador slipped away for a romantic moment on the bow...that is, until Mango shouted out "I'm the Relentlessly Huge King of the World!" and Sophie decided to go find out what Joe Stains was up to....

Meanwhile, the ladies were gathering on the Poop Deck. At least, they did after we got all the poop picked up in biodegradeable poop bags. The moment of the bouquet toss was near!

But what eligible young lassie would catch it? Honey the Great Dane seemed to have a bit of an advantage, but then the ship tacked and the bouquet blew another direction....

"Hey, where's Gabbi? I want to make sure she gets a chance at catching the bouquet!" said Rosie.

No fear, my dearest, little Gabbi was getting quite cozy with Jake on one of the foredecks.

After hitting a buoy, Lacie managed to untangle herself and crawl on deck. "Ever since I got that dog-gone invitation, I've been in training to catch the bouquet and be the next bride!" snarled Lacie, a bit of seaweed dangling from one of her antlers, "Get back, bitches—and I mean that in the canine sense of the word—this one is all mine!"

And with that she leaped like Michael Jordan into the air....

Once again, the boat came about and the bouquet bounced through her antlers...and into her best friend Asta's lap!

Hmmm, think Asta may be adding some more jewelry to that ginormous diamond ring???
Oh Stanley.....

As the lights came on over the deck, we all gathered for dinner and dancing in the moonlight.

Before we cut the wedding cake, Eric Square Dog took the microphone to deliver his Bestest Man toast to Rosie and me. You'll have to ask Eric what he said - I was laughing one minute and crying the next and probably missed half of it!

Just so you don't think I forgot all about my national loyalties, we included a wedding tradition from the American South — a groom's cake! Since Rosie and I went on our first date to Bermuda, I thought it was very sentimental that we remember that special weekend with the two of us on a moped!

Hmmm, don't those dog-safe carob-dipped strawberries look delicious?

As the boat pulled into it's berth, the skies lit up with a spectacular display of SILENT fireworks! Of course, Archie fainted when he saw the first burst, but Aggie revived him with her handy smelling salts in time for the grand finale.

Truly it was a spectacular day that we will cherish for all of our days! Thank you for being a part of it. And now if you'll excuse us, our honeymoon is about to begin!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Our Wedding Day - Part 2 - The Ceremony

At last Rosie and her maids at arrived at Pluscarden Abbey!

Bridesmaids Mason Dixie and Kira were the first to alight from the car, careful not to crush their taffeta gowns or their bouquets of highland flowers with touches of heather.

As the music began, Asta and Stanley hurried to their seats, accidentally on purpose tripping over Lacie's blender extension cord and slipping her some nice sticky, chewy butterscotch to keep her jaws shut for the duration of the ceremony.

Ahhhhh! I caught a glimpse of my bride, gathering her bouquet from her Maid of Honor Gabbi. Even at a far distance, she took my breath away....

Rosie's bouquet of red roses was her "Something Borrowed." It was Toffee's Mom's actual wedding bouquet last July 19th! Happy Anniversary!!!

First down the aisle, Auntie Bailey stood in for the Mother-of-the-Bride. Auntie Martha picked out this Mary Stuart-inspired ensemble when she was working the couture shows in Paris as Just Martha. Auntie Bailey seems less than convinced, although she did get a kick out of wearing the Spencer tiara, even though she has abdicated her throne (for the time being.)


Matron of Honor Martha showed her runway panache as she slowly and gracefully made it down the aisle....("Martha, why the long face?" "It's my face and if it's good enough for the Chewnel #5 campaign, then its good enough for you!")

Next to traipse down the aisle was Maid of Honor Gabbi, wiping a wee tear away from her lovely eyes, then winking at Jake.

I waited anxiously with Officiant Mango and my handsome groomsmen—Bestest Man Eric Square Dog and groomsmen Jake, Joe Stains and Alfie.

...while across from us, Rosie's maids waited all in a row, with co-Officiant, Marvin the Hollow Hound.

Here comes the Bride!!!

Ah, Snoop looks so proud the buttons are about to burst off his jacket. And have you ever seen such a beautiful bride as my Rosie Posie?

The first of many Scottish wedding traditions was the paw-fasting. In the Middle Ages, hand-fasting was a temporary marriage that lasted a year and a day (longer than most celebrity marriages!) until a clergyman passed through the village and could perform a marriage ceremony. Today, our paws are bound together during our vows with a tartan cloth to symbolize that from this day forward, we are no longer two, but are one!

Then Rosie read her personal vows to me:

Ithers seek they ken na what,
Features, carriage, and a'that;
Gie me love in him I court,
Love to love makes a' the sport.
Let love sparkle in his e'e;
Let him lo'e nae maid but me;
That's the tocher-gude* I prize,
There the luver's treasure lies.

* A tocher-guide is a marriage portion.

Then I delivered my vows to Rosie:

O my luve is like a red, red rose, that's newly sprung in June:
O my luve is like the melodie, That's sweetly played in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will luve thee still my dear, While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only love! And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve, Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

At that point, Marvin and Mango asked for the rings....


I then presented Rosie with a Luckenbooth, a beautiful brooch that was exchanged between lovers on betrothal, all the way back to the 1600's. On the back, I had it inscribed: Of earthly joys thou art my choice.
The pinning of the Tartan is another Scottish tradition, that shows the acceptance of the Bride or Groom into the other's clan, or in my case, making her an honorary Terrier!

And as the bagpipes swelled outside, we turned to face our family and friends....

Lads and Lassies....may I present Petey and his lovely wife Rosie!!!

Oh! P.S. Some of you may have been wondering if Petey's catbro Mica or Rosie's catbro Gus was in attendance. Actually, they had the best seats in the house! With so many dogs around (not to mention Lacie), they felt more comfortable from this perch, where they had a wonderful view and enjoyed a lovely cup of milky tea, hold the tea.