Preparations under way for the DWB Convention in NYC!

Although it has been COLD and rainy here since Sunday, Asta and I took advantage of a sunny morning to discuss our hosting duties for the first Dogs with Blogs International Convention to be held in New York this July. There will be many of our flat-friends attending with their two-leggeds, but we'll be the 3-D canine hosts!

There's so much to do in New York in the summer —the very thought just made us exhausted. We'll want to take our friends on a lovely walk along the Hudson so they can see the skyline and the Statue of Liberty.

We'll want to show them the hotspots in our wonderful West Village neighborhood. Great little restaurants and shops, and of course, shopkeepers who keep a big supply of dog biscuits on hand. And they'll want to stop by our favorite stores — Beasty Feast and Zoomies—to get New York treats for their four-leggeds left at home.

Maybe we'll give them a tour of the Dog Run and see how well they can toss a tennis ball or two ....or twenty!
Of course, while Asta and I both consider ourselves to be seadogs, I don't think we're invited on the Classic Harbor cruise. Mom went last summer and just loved it. (Mom here: You really get a feel for New York as a port when you're sailing around the southern part of the island. And incredible views of the Statue of Liberty. Keep in mind that this is a real sailing schooner under sail, in other words - if there's a nice breeze, you'll be tacking back and forth. You'll really feel like you're on the water, more so than on a motor boat!)

Just thinking of all the fun things to do in the Big Apple reminded me of my new favorite treat — Apple and Cheddar yoghund — yep! Frozen yogurt just for dogs! Delish!

Of course, while we're planning all this fun stuff, let's not forget about our pal Digby. He got bit by a tick and has had an awful reaction. He seems to be on the mend the past few days, but he's still far from out of the woods. We love him and his brother Wilf and theirs is one of our favorite blogs to read, filled with characters and scenery from southern France. Please drop by and give him your best wishes and prayers.

A year later, we miss you Granny...

It's hard to believe, but it's been a year since my Granny (Mom's Mom) left us. We prefer to focus on her life and the fun we had together than her passing.

Here I am the first time I met her! It was Christmas time and we fly down to Hilton Head. I was about 10 months old and it was probably the first time I'd ever been on an airplane. (Mom figures I flew from Kansas to NYC when I was a little puppy.) Granny thought Mom was crazy to get a dog, much less a puppy, because she worked alot and already had two cats. But I won her over and before long, not only was I sleeping on HER bed, but I had almost as many toys at Granny's house as I did in New York!

Granny was very beautiful with the prettiest dark blue eyes and a friendly warm smile. She liked to laugh alot and play games with me. My favorite was when she'd be standing in the kitchen talking on the phone and I'd roll my ball over to her with my nose, then she'd gently kick it back to me. We could roll that ball back and forth forever!

She always wore that gold pinecone on a chain around her neck. It reminded her of Hilton Head and all the pine trees there.

Here's a picture I took of Mom and Granny at the beach. They claim the ocean makes their butts look big, but I think it's a nice photo.

Here we are playing together on the porch. Granny would have been a swell soccer player!

And this is my favorite photo of us, just walking down on the beach on a sunny warm January day.
I'll keep looking for your footprints in the sand, Granny. We miss you and we love you always.

Set your DVR on Wednesday night!

I know what we'll be watching! Tune in - it should be pawsome!

Spring in the Village

Springtime in New York is kind of like Lacie. One moment sunny and warm, shimmering with possibilities, the next day, harsh and cold, ready to bite you in the ....

Anyway, I decided to show you some of the sunnier sides of Spring in the little village in the big city.

We walked over to visit my favorite designer and ardent dog lover , John Bartlett. He's a dog's best friend - continually hosting benefits and adoption events for the North Shore Animal League. Even his logo is a portrait of his three-legged dog Tiny Tim. You can read all about Tim on John's website. You can even buy a Tiny Tim tee-shirt where all the proceeds go to the North Shore Animal League.

He's a fella you can count on to have some delicious dog treats on hand, but unfortunately, he was gone this day.

Just look at how beautiful the trees are in the neighborhood with their white flowers all in bloom. They look like they're covered in snow.

We liked the window at the Ralph Lauren kids store. The underground view reminded us of when Lacie went exploring under the deck in Da Burgh. Although I don't know if she'd fit into this window display.

A gorgeous cherry blossom tree in Madison Square Park. Okay, it's not in the Village but near Mom's church. Did you know that Madison Square Garden was originally over here by 23rd and Fifth Avenue? (Or that the term "23 Skidoo!" came from police chasing away men who would hang around the corner by the Flat Iron Building to see ladies' skirt fly up in the draft?) When they were putting the Statue of Liberty together, her hand with the torch was displayed here and people could climb up it for a quarter!

Okay, back to the Village. How clever are these sculptures? Puts a whole new spin on "Wire" Fox Terrier, huh? Speaking of which, we're sending lots of love and prayers to our pal Jackson, the wiriest of the WFTs.

Saw this purse and display in Lulu Guiness and it reminded me of someone...oh yes! My wee wifey Rosie! Do you think if I sent her this bag she might forget all about the Facebook thingy and come back to bloggie land? I miss her!

Time for a nap. Still using Mica as a pillow.

Ahhh, had to spin through the park across the street. This week, the tulips are in bloom and a few of the daffodils are hanging in there. The tulip tree barely bloomed for a week, we couldn't get a photo.

While I was there, I met this little 2-legged pup. He was awfully cute. That's the thing about kids, they're usually sticky with something sweet-tasting and they don't mind if you lick it off of them.

Good for sharing crackers and Cheerios too.

Yes, that is indeed my nose.

I also ran into my gal pal Pumpkin who I see at the dog run. Mom swears she's made out of pipe cleaners and rubber bands, she's a big happy bouncy girl whose feet rarely touch the ground.

Can you guess what breed she is?

Nope, not a lamb. Or a poodle.

She's a Goldendoodle! Just like my buddy Clive! I guess this is what Clive would look like if he didn't blowout his hair, huh?

Okay, I'm exhausted from all that walking around. Time to take over my favorite place for a nap.

...and settle in for a good long snoozy.

In the meantime, check out this video of Mica and then tell me again how old he is! I like how he quits cooperating once Mom says how old he is and then he realizes he's on camera.

How to ruin a perfectly good spring weekend...

...I got a bath.

'Nuff said.

Will post more when I quit sulking.

Channeling my inner "Tommy"

If you're not already a loyal follower of The Poupounette's blog, go there immediately. It is an utterly charming blog featuring a loveable English Springer Spaniel named Tom and an ever-growing population of Abysinnian cats, The Chan Clan, living in a gorgeous region of France known as Le Perche.

Mom even went and visited Tom and the cats and their awesome #1 (and Oncle U, aussi!) in December of 2008. As a Francophile with a dog and an Aby, it was an instant connection.

We've always been astonished at how well Tom and the Chans get along. The Chans always seem to be dozing in between his paws or cuddled under his chin.

This never happens with me and Mica.

Oh sure, we'll occasionally sleep butt-to-butt on the bed, but it's accidental.

But then today, when Mom was working on her laptop, she looked over and spied this.

She knew if she got up to get her camera, she'd disturb us, so she took these with the camera on her computer. I am totally using Mica for a pillow here! He's a little bony for such an old fellow, but cozy nonetheless.

Uh oh. Looks like our cuddling session might be short-lived after all...

Ahhh, back to dreams of running through fields in deepest France, chasing tennis balls with Tommy, the scent of lilacs in the air.

Just look at my little bologna tongue sticking out...I'm tasting the Camenbert in my dreams!

"I've got sunshine, on a rainy day!"

"...When it's wet outside, Petey makes my day...."

Sure it's been raining cats and dogs - don't step in a poodle! - but that doesn't mean we can't go outside and find some sunshine and spring colors to smile about, right?

I think a certain Not-So-Little-Man will like these photos of me in my rain slicker with these bright golden daffodils at the park across the street.

Looks like these flowers may be blooming by Easter!

I do look awfully sunny next to these flowers, don't I, Mom?

Oooh! And it looks like the tulip tree will be bursting with blossoms any day now too. We can see it from our apartment - that's it across the street.

Ahhhh, even in the rain, you've gotta stop and smell the flowers! Spring has sprung indeed.

Okay, Mom, I think they've gotten the idea - let's get going already...

Here are some bouquets of beautiful Spring flowers at the corner bodega...

And here are some bouquets of umbrellas on almost every corner.

They look like sculptures from the Museum of Modern Art!

More bursts of yellow sunshine - did NSLM do all the gardening in the neighborhood this Spring?

Even dripping with raindrops, it's still awfully pretty.

This azalea should be ready to pop by the weekend.

Hmmm, I know a fella in Ireland who'd love these Marc Jacobs high-tops. I wonder if they come in sets of four at Bark Jacobs?

Oooh! And just look at all these colorful Wellies—how can you be glum in these puddle-stompers?

No cookies for me at Marc Jacobs but I did spy this guy in the window - he's on a skateboard.

Can you see Mom's reflection in the window of this little French shop? She says it reminds her of the stalls at the Marche de Clignancourt - the big flea market in Paris.

The actress Liv Tyler used to live in the brownstone on the left. I used to play with her King Charles Cavalier spaniel Neil, but now she lives in Los Angeles and probably misses this beautiful white tree flowering in her backyard. In a few more days, it will look like it's covered in fragrant snow.

Heck, even the bags of laundry looked bright and cheerful on this cloudy gray day.

This restaurant was greeting patrons with a candy-striped azalea.

I checked out the daffys on the stoop next to my pal Bear's building while a man who lived there admired my raincoat.

I showed you the decorations at Christmas time at the pharmacy downstairs in our building...

...now they're all decked out for Easter! And I thought I was the only "chick magnet" in the building...
There's a lady in the neighborhood who decorates her bicycle for every season and holiday. We thought it looked especially beautiful today with its Easter and Springtime attire. And we like her "Bicycling for Peace" sign, too.

I hope she won't mind that I tried out her bicycle basket. I think I could give the Easter Bunny some real competition in the basket catagory, don't you?

(Sing along:)

"I guess you'd say,

who can chase the rain away?

My dog! (My dog!)

Talking 'bout my dog!

MY DOG!"