Unbelievable!

This is a pretty incredible story. So sit in a comfy chair, get something yummy to drink and settle in...
It's a story that couldn't have happened without DWB, and for that, I am very grateful.

So you know me, Petey, a little Cairn terrier living in New York City.

Just a few months ago, I met the Dughallmor Beagles. We stumbled upon their blog when we were visiting Marvin, the Hollow Hound. We were excited that they lived in Scotland. I'm a wee Scots doggie and my Granny was born there. In fact, my Mommy is the first generation on her mother's side NOT to be born in Scotland. 

Then I discovered that Rosie and her family lived near the town where Granny was born! And not far from where both of Granny's parents grew up, way up in the Highlands of Scotland.

Now I'll introduce you to my Granny...I love my Granny! When I was just a little puppy, she sent me Lamby. It's still one of my favorite toys to snuggle with.

Here we are going for a walk on the beach down in South Carolina where she lives now. 

This was taken on my very first Christmas morning. I got a new sweater and Granny got a new coat. 

Okay, now back we go to Scotland... Here is where my Granny was born, at the Priory Lodge of Pluscarden Abbey. It was built in the 13th Century. (It's even older than Granny!)

Yesterday afternoon, we got an email from Rosie's Mummy. Guess where she'd been that day? To Pluscarden! And she took these photos of the very house that Granny and her twin sister were born in.  They were 2 months premature, so it's probably a good thing that they were born in a house that is shaped like a cross, with a cross in each corner. 
Here is a photo of Granny's grandfather (Mommy's Great-father). He was the caretaker at the Abbey when Granny was born there. His name is Henry Lawrence. The little girl in the photo is Granny's Mum (Mommy's Grandmother). This photo was taken around 1901!

Here is another view of the little house. Isn't it charming? Now...listen to this.  When Rosie's Mummy got home, she was telling her husband about taking photos of the house, and maybe the next time, she could ask the owner if they'd mind moving their car and the bin.

And Rosie's Daddy said there was a very nice lady living there - he's installed the security system you can see to the left of the door!!! Can you believe this? Rosie's Daddy was in the very house where my Granny was born. That's just mind-boggling!

Mommy downloaded the photos that Rosie's Mum emailed on the Walgreen's site. She was able to have prints made of the Pluscarden photos that Granny picked up at her nearby Walgreens. Just think. Those photos were taken that day, and later that afternoon, thousands of miles away, my Granny was looking at printed copies. Granny was overwhelmed. She's only been back to the wee house once and that was almost 40 years ago. She was so excited, she's going to frame the photos that Rosie's Mum took. She went to bed last night with them on her nightstand so she could have one more look before she fell asleep.

And it's all because two little doggies met across the blogs. Unbelievable! 

Joey Palooza Tenth Anniversary!!!

As most of you already know, this weekend was Joey Palooza, in honor of my good pal Joe Stains tenth birthday! It is a three-day festival of music, food, stuffies, more food and more music—a terrierific celebration. 

I invited my Rosie-Posey  to join me, along with her brother Alfie and his date Mason Dixie. Joey very nicely got us all VIP passes so we could hang out close to the stage and go to the party afterwards. Rosie and I couldn't resist a wee kiss. 

The crowds were amazing, over three times the size of last year's JoeyPalooza! We almost got lost in the mobs, thank dog for our VIP passes!

We wriggled our way into the mosh pit (or as Kira and Khyra would call it, the MUSH pit!) where we met up with Joey and his lovely celebrity girlfriend, the incomparable Sophie Brador, just in from Montreal. Suddenly, Rosie was lifted up by the crowd! "Rooo Roooo!" We sang along with the opening band — Boston (Terrier).

Next was one of the headliners, Joe Cocker, who for the evening changed his name to Joe Cocker Stains (which earned him an honorary Stains Award.) For his last number, Joey Stains joined him onstage for a duet of "You are so beautiful" which he dedicated to Sophie. 

Next up was Joey's good friend, Snoop Doggy Dogg sang "Drop it like it's hot" which also won him an honorary Stains Award. Then Snoop revealed that "Doggfather" was inspired by Joe Stains and they sang it together (HBO words and everything!). Who knew Joey was so gangsta?

Cameras weren't allowed at the after-party backstage, but let's just say that the fur was flying and there are a more than a few celebrants who will be needing "the hair of the dog" tomorrow morning!

Joey very nicely lent us his tour bus to go to the airport and catch our AireRuby flights. We were dog-tired. 

Joey, we had a pawsome time at JoeyPalooza and can't wait for next year's! Hope you had a great birthday, pal, and welcome to the double doggy digits!

Auditions this weekend...ready to go Hollywood?

Can a sophisticated New York city terrier boy find love and happiness with a beagle lassie from the Scottish Highlands?

OF COURSE!

Which is why we are filming an all-new version of this romantic classic, and an all-singing, all-dancing all-dog (and cats and hamster cast!



While the starring roles have already been cast, it's rumored Eric Square Dog will be playing Charlie Dalrymple and Toffee has been tentatively cast as Bonnie Jeanne (still awaiting her singing audition.) Lacie seems to be a shoo-in for the role of the man-crazy Meg Brockie, but insiders say that both Sophie Brador and Martha Basset (recently recovering from a slimming surgery) also have been in talks with the producers.

There are still many roles to be filled, including the hot-tempered Harry Beaton and comic sidekick Jeff Douglas.

So dust off your kilts, practice your sword dancing and start rolling your "rrrrr's" for the auditions this weekend. The full cast will be announced next week.

Until there's a cure....

Around the time of Mango Minster, I started noticing a lot of my pals were wearing blue rubber bracelets around their paws...

Butchy had his on with his camo...

Archie wore his around the clock, even when he was sleeping (which is a lot of the time...is he sleeping or did he faint again?)...

Dewey had a bracelet, too. So for awhile, I thought it might just be a Wire Fox Terrier solidarity kind of thing....

Until I noticed that the King of Gooberstan wore one, too... At royal events and just lounging around the castle...

So maybe it was a United States phenomenon...Then Noah showed up wearing one with his jaunty Australia hat...

Okay, it must be a symbol for international terriers...but then both Pee Wee Dexter and the Relentlessly Huge Mango were spotted wearing their bracelets. Obviously, they came in a range of sizes...

And it wasn't just limited to dogs, either. That international cat of mystery, the suave Italian Opus was sporting a bracelet with his Pawda suit in the fall of 2008...

Heck! Even a FROG was spotted wearing the ubiquitous blue bracelet...what did it all mean?

Then one day, a blue bracelet arrived for me. I put it on immediately. It was waterproof, sandproof, and looked great with all my clothes...

Here's a closer look at it.

Tanner, your bracelet should be arriving shortly....

It is a badge of courage worn by dozens—nay, thousands—of hapless fellows around the world... a brotherhood who can proudly claim that they went out with Lacie and lived to tell about it!

On one side, the bracelet defines you as a:

And on the other side, well, it speaks for itself!

I am sure there are dozens, nay, thousands of members of this not-too-exclusive brotherhood that I was unable to mention in this post. (After all, there is a limit to how long a post can be.) So if I have missed you, please feel free to pick up a bracelet here and wear it with honor. 

The not-so-few, the scarred (and sometimes the scared), the proud...the men who've dared to date Lacie!

Mica's Hangover and Shake your Booties!

Now that Mica is 18, he's decided he's old enough to drink. So last night he washed down his Fancy Feast with a glass of Sancerre. When we came into the living room this morning, we found him like this.

Clearly hungover.  But given that smile on his face, it must have been worth every drop.

Now doggies, I ask you...do you know what this is? (No, not Mommy's teal blue nail polish.)

It's one of my booties. They look like deflated balloons and they stay on my feet better than my MuttLuks.  So why does Mommy torture me with these silly things?

Salt. And de-icer. It's piled on thick on all the sidewalks and roads. Here's the thing - when doggies get salt on their wet paws, it acts as a conductor. So when you touch something metal - like a manhole cover or a signpost or a hydrant- you can get a bad shock. De-icer is just as bad. It works by heating up and melting the ice. So it burns your paws. And because your paws are ouchy-hot, you lick 'em then get that nasty stuff in your tummy.  Here's the pet-safe de-icer we use at the run. If you need to use de-icer, this is a really good one.

So remember those beautiful photos of Asta and I frolicking the snow yesterday? If you haven't seen her photos, go take a peek - the ones with her and the kids on the sled are adorable and guaranteed to make you smile!

Here's what it looked like today. I wore humiliating booties for this?

Mommy and I did find a little fluffy snow to play in. Don't I look like I'm in the prison yard? Petey behind bars.
There wasn't even enough for a good Snow Face Pack. Oh well...goodbye snow! See you next winter!

Does everybloggie like my new header? It's me and Rosie, writing the first chapter of our romance!

A new day...a SNOW day!

Another birthday package arrived from Sir Eric Square Dog's Royal Mail. I love Eric's presents! He always knows exactly what I like (because he likes it too.)

This time, I wasn't so sure. What is this thing?


Is it some sort of strange blue gourd that grows in England? There's a hole in it...is it supposed to be birdhouse (but they forgot the perch)? Eric said that it's very favorite toy. It wobbles when I try to pick it up, so it's not a ball. 

Eric also mentioned that he eats his breakfast out of it every day! Those Brits! Rosie ate her breakfast out of a nice bowl, same as me, so maybe it's an English thing. Like Spotted Dick. Or Blood Pudding (I don't remember Bill Cosby EVER hawking Blood Pudding for Jell-o!) Marmite. Toad in the Hole. Bubble and Squeak (sounds like a pair of strippers! And not the kind of strippers that give us wiry dogs our stylish hairdos). Cornish Pasties (what Bubble and Squeak wear on the job in Cornwall!)  

Anyhow. Mommy put some treats in the hole. NOW I get it! It bobbles and wobbles and every now and then...a treat pops out. It makes a lovely noise rumbling on the hardwood floors. And I'm exhausted by the time I've gotten all the treats out. I hope my Rosie Posey will notice my biceps the next time we get together.

Mica just laughed at me, grabbed a can of Fancy Feast Beef and Liver and the can opener and headed into the other room with a nicely chilled glass of Sancerre. (Now that he's 18, he figures he can have a drink with dinner.)

Now that I'd carb-loaded, it was time to go see my pal Asta to tell her all about my romantic weekend with Rosie...and to have a great romp in the SNOW! We've been waiting all winter for this stuff. Sure, we've had a flurry or two, but then it would always sleet or rain on top of it before we could get out and have a grand time in it. 

Asta was waiting for me at the playground in her snowsuit. I was bringing the ball (natch!) and I was running late (thanks, Mom...) and she was a bit impatient with me. 

Immediately we settled in. Asta has some wonderful photos of our fun. If they're not on her bloggie yet, keep checking in. 

The snow was so floofy, the ball would sometimes disappear entirely in it! 

 

I'd been over to play in it that morning and found a ball in the snow! Outta the blue!

Look at that Asta - now there's a Square Dog for ya!  She looks like she's right off the shelf from F.A.O. Schwartz. So cute!

Ahhh, this new Snow Face Pack from our Tommy Holedigger Spa Dog range is so refreshing on my Bermudian sunburnt nose.  Now throw the ball already Mommy, my feet are freezing!

Ahhh, nothing like a nice snow-soaked tennis ball. Sorry Asta, but I just can share it quite yet.

This is what my park looks like today. They locked the gates so the snow is still clean and pristine.

And this is what my park will look like in about three months time!

Playing in the snow is a lot harder than playing in the warm Bermuda sand....

I wonder what my Rosie Posey is doing... I miss her.

Although a tear may be ever so near...

I think that everyone in our DWB community has been shaken to the core by the news of Klaus's passing. While I did not know Lulu and Klaus and their lovable 'Dale Bogie very well, my heart went out to Lulu as she shared her experiences over the past few weeks. She opened her life up to us and we opened our hearts up to her and Klaus.

In these shared moments, it became very clear. Klaus had a wonderful life. He was loved by an incredible, funny, gorgeous woman who was his soulmate. He lived surrounded by beauty. He found joy in Bogie's antics. He was rich in family and friends. 

We should all be so fortunate. His was a life worth celebrating. So in the days to come, let's all be a bit kinder, a bit more patient, laugh a bit louder, hug a moment longer...and smile.

Smile though your heart is aching;

Smile even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by.

If you smile through your fear and sorrow,

Smile and maybe tomorrow,

You'll see the sun come shining through for you.

That's the time, you must keep on trying,

Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is so worthwhile,

If you just smile.