The Heat Finally Breaks!!!

What a relief!

I was really starting to think that mom was full of baloney when she said that yes, it would eventually not be ten thousand degrees outside (and inside) every single day for the rest of time. Today it was actually overcast until about early afternoon which made it much much much more comfortable than it's been. Also something about lower humidity (which I admit I do not understand at all) made it nicer to be, well, ME.

I had to literally drag mom outside for the midday walk because I wasn't feeling like just running outside to pee like I've been doing lately (it being so very hot and all). No camera of course, just me frolicking with 2 doggie buddies Lulu & Harry. It's so much fun to be a puppy sometimes...

And - ahem - no foxtails to pick out of my paws today!!!

Love,

Bogart

To Aire is Divine

These Boots are Made for Walking...

And that's just what they'll do...

One of these days these boots are going to walk right over you... EVIL FOXTAILS!!!! And you're not going to be able to get to my precious paws anymore!!! You're going to have to find some other canine to attach yourselves too because I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!!!!

Mom apparently had to exchange them from a size large to a size medium and today they arrived. As always, the UPS man rings the bell and then runs for the hills when he hears me barking - which is hilarious - every time we come to the door he's never there but the package has been basically dropped in front of the door as he runs away down the stairs in terror. Fan-tastic.

So they're super cool - red and black - stretchy neoprene with skidproof rubber botttoms, and velcro (which I thought was for me to chew on, mom had to correct me that they're for adjusting the boots...). I think I look super cool wearing them, like I'm off for an adventure in the wilderness or something. That is until I stand up - ok, I'm used to having something on my front paws from the evil foxtail incidents, but not on my back ones. Mom said I was walking like a Clydesdale while she was laughing at me, but hey, I've never worn fancy shoes before!

But they look great and are pretty darn fabulous. Mom got them for me online from HandicappedPets.com. Check them out, they have some great products!!!

Love,

Bogart

I'm gonna walk right over you on my other blog:

To Aire is Divine

We're Havin' a Heatwave...

Well today it did cool down just a tiny bit... at least enough for mom and I to not sweat completely through our coats (ok, mom wears a t-shirt but it's basically the same thing except I don't take mine off - ever) within minutes of walking outside while on our morning constitutional around the Echo Park lake.

I did enjoy myself more than usual with the local ducks - mom doesn't let me get close enough to do any damage, and the ducks definitely know when I'm "in tha house" and do a quick waddle into the water. I'm incredibly curious about this water, but mom won't let me go in. Apparently no one is supposed to go in so I guess I'm not missing anything. Must find another source of cool water on hot days.

I love the idea of having my very own swimming pool - one of my dog blogger buddies suggested it to me - and have been working on mom and dad's sympathy to buy one for me. It seems that although they would be willing to buy something inflatable, there isn't much room in an apartment for a blowup pool and resulting wet dog. Flawed logic on their part, I'm afraid, so I will continue to fight the good fight and hopefully one day soon I will be reporting from my pool. With a large brightly-colored drink with a paper umbrella in it. And a plate of artfully-arranged treats. And a human fanning me.

Ah, that's the life.

Love,

Bogart

A Tropical Heatwave is happenin' on my other blog:

To Aire is Divine

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Mom was listening to old Cure songs today (what can I say, she's an old Goth from way back) and the song Hot Hot Hot came on. My sentiments exactly.

It's really getting hard to do anything other than the most basic things: sleeping, pooping, occasionally eating (unless it's treats, that doesn't count as basic that's a requirement). Mom tried another of her great ideas which was to squirt me down from across the room with a water bottle to wet my fur. Yeah mom, I get it, it does kind of work but you look like a grinning hyena while you're doing it so STOP!

There was one good thing that the heat inspired today. A few days ago Dad got a haircut and I've been very jealous of all the compliments he's been getting lately whenever he hobbles out of the apartment. I kept looking at mom with my head tilted sideways, eyelashes batting, tongue hanging out so that I look like I'm smiling... I NEED THAT KIND OF ATTENTION AND I NEED IT NOW. So she finally got it, and took out a pair of scissors to clip a little around my neck and head so that I'd be a little more 'rectangular'. It's a bit cooler for me, which I love, and if I do say so myself I am looking rather ruggedly handsome...

But I'd look soooo much better if I wasn't panting/sweating every minute of the day (and night - it's even hot here at night when there's no sun!!!!)... I was asking the cats about the heat, you know, maybe see how they're able to handle it so well, and this is what Behemoth said:

And this is what Kafka said:

So I think the general idea is to just sleep... and deal with it. Got it, thanks guys!

Love,

Bogart

Watch me sweatin' to the oldies on my other blog:

To Aire is Divine

Always Prepared

Wow, it feels like I've been away for A-G-E-S...

It's just so darned hot here I can't even think of things to do, much less to write about. It's not that my life isn't incredibly exciting (of course it is), it's just that the excitement has been tempered by my constant panting and sleeping in front of the fan. I'm still getting in my daily time at the Echo Park Lake which is fun (before it gets too hot), and I'm quite good at carrying my own leash with leopard-print poopbag dispenser.

Just wanted to pop in and say hi to everyone! I heard on the TV that hopefully this heat will begin to calm down sometime next week... it had better!!!! Such a fine dog as myself is made to be SEEN!

Love,

Bogart

Melt on over to my other blog:

To Aire is Divine

How Do You Spell Lazy?

Yep, it's spelled M-O-M.

I can't blame her too much - it's been incredibly hot here, and she's taking care of dad, the cats, and me - and so far she's been basically performing up to my expectations... walking first thing in the morning with minimal jumping and face licking, then a longer walk around the lake so that I can watch the ducks, leaving my fuzzy butt alone for awhile while I commune with the fan, generally taking me out somewhere for lunch or general show-off, then more pee walks, making sure that the food arrives at my specified intervals, required grooming and treat times, some running in the park with my Homer Simpson flyer... just the usual.

So ok, maybe she's not exactly L-A-Z-Y... perhaps a better way to phrase it is "leaves room for improvement".

Now here's REAL laziness - every morning this sprinkler goes on and does THIS. It doesn't move, it doesn't spray anywhere else, always just right into the trash can. Go figure.

Love,

Bogart

Still have energy? Check out my other blog:

To Aire is Divine

Barkback Mountin' Part Deux

I am very in touch with my - ahem! - manly side.

Long-time readers may remember this photo of my very first hump around Christmastime, and yes that's my buddy Sneaky. Indeed he has a fine butt, and I do like 'em big and manly. It was literally the very first time that my hormones kicked in, and well, I was then kickin' it with Sneaky. Good times.

Today was the first day I'd seen Sneaky since then. As you can see, I've grown considerably since last we humped.

And yes, I found him as absolutely irresistable as I did last time. Much to his chagrin.

Love,

Bogart

See me in action on my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com

Pirates of the Elysian (Park, that is...)

I can't believe it. In this heat, mom actually woke up on the early side. It's incredible, and unprecedented. And it only took one good jump (I generally jump onto her in the morning for my Airedale wake-up-call as well as do a generous face slurping) to wake her up instead of several, I was impressed.

So we went out for our morning romp where I could take care of some business... and I smelled something. No, not that something (I wasn't downwind of my poop). It was something intoxicating.

There are many small holes in the park. I've given them cursory glances before and even a sniff or two, but that's as far as it ever went. I never even knew that there could be something interesting in there before this morning... But then I caught that whiff.

My terrier ancestors came roaring to the forefront of my brain. I began to dig - a crater, I tell you! - and dig, and dig, and dig until I uncovered a vast catacomb of tunnels, one larger than the other, some that led only to dead ends and others that slowly merged one into the other... I placed my advanced nasal locator deep into those holes and breathed in deeply, over and over again, until I could be absolutely sure that the treasure buried there was within a paws reach. Triumphant, with virtual paws raised in the air, I brought my quarry into the light...

It was a dead gopher.

Mom squealed and tried to tear it away from me, but it was my booty, I had earned it fair and square, and I was not going down without a fight. The gopher, however, did go down without much of a fight as it broke into pieces while in my powerful jaws as I tried to elude the machinations of mom.

As you can imagine this was a true epic in the making - and as thus, mom wasn't able to take that many pictures as she was a key player in the drama. A few have been provided for your (hopeful) amusement.

We actually went toward the dog park afterwards and I got to see my Airedale buddies because we met at the car... and mom decided that with all of this newfound (and highly unusual) energy we should go for a walk instead. Which was lovely, actually. Time for more (heat-induced) sleep.

ARGH, matey...

Love,

Bogart

See all of my swashbuckling photos on my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com

Duck Off!

Today we got in the car - I thought to go to the dog park or for a walk around the reservoir - but then mom made a strange turn. I thought, hm, ok, where is she taking me now?

But then we stopped at the Echo Park lake. She wanted to show me the lotuses! Apparently this lake has more lotuses than anywhere else outside of Asia. They even had a festival for them last weekend (I couldn't go, too many tasty distractions).

So I gingerly took a look. I'd get pretty close to them but those suckers are BIG! And they move because the water moves! There were a few people taking photographs of the lotuses and they stopped and started taking pictures of me... of course not at my finest moment, but when I was poking at the lotuses with my nose, unsure of what they were. But everyone was smiling and heck I was getting some attention so I was happy.

Then I saw something coming toward me. It waddled. Then as it got closer it slipped off of the side of the concrete into the water and swam away. My first duck! Boy was I transfixed. I couldn't stop looking at it.

And then there were more! They were actually standing on the sidewalk when mom and I were walking by, and when we got close they'd make all sorts of noise and jump into the water. Kinda cranky if you ask me, and I'm pretty sure that there was some sort of historical impulse in me that was thinking about making duck stew...

But it was a lot of fun - nice to go somewhere different for a change! But still so h-o-t....

Love,

Bogart

See all of the ducking fabulous photos on my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com

BBB - Bogart's Been Busy

Doin' a whole lotta this.

It's h-o-t....

Love,

Bogart

It's always Hot in the City on my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com

Summer in Springfield

Lots of walking for me today... first mom and I did a tour around the Silver Lake Reservoir (notice me ignoring the No Tresspassing signs), then a quick trip to the dog park (where we didn't know anyone - how weird is that?) where I had a quick drink and then it was back into the Bogie-mobile.

It's still incredibly hot here and I spend the majority of my middays in front of my best friend, the FAN. I thought I'd get a few hours with my newest buddy until...

Mom came home and brought me this great new toy - it's Homer Simpson! What do you mean how do I know that... mom and dad watch the Simpsons all the time. I know a Duff man when I see him...

So I got to run around with it in the evil summer heat. Fun to be sure, but definitely more work than it should have been.

But thanks mom, I really do love it...

Love,

Bogart

D'oh! Check out my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com

Separated at Birth?

I'm the one with funkier eyebrows.

Love,

Bogart

Lighting up your life on my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com

Stitches.... OUT!

Today both dad and I got our stitches removed! Mom got to watch both (she loves the gory stuff, she's so weird sometimes) and she told me that I had been a better patient than dad was... to be fair he had a LOT more stitches than I did, but I had some on the top and bottom of my paw and he had some on both sides of his leg so technically I think we're even. And of course he still has to wear that big blue bandage...

I'm waiting for a package that mom told me about - something about boots? - a present from grandma so that I supposedly don't have to go through the foxtail surgery again anytime soon.

I have no idea what this means, I'll have to reserve judgement (but not trepidation) about this until I know more.

Love,

Bogart

See all the stitch-witchery on my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com

The Importance of Being Batteries

Ah, the battery issue... AGAIN.

Yesterday as I was cowering in fear behaving bravely in the face of certain fireworks-related-danger there were plenty of opportunities for photographs. Preserving my first Fourth of July on pixels. Updating everyone on my continuing drama with the foxtails. Showing what a scaredy cat proud pooch I was when the neighborhood was alight with color and those oh-so-loud noises that you humans all love to ooh and aah at.

But alas, mom was OUT OF BATTERY. So today she got herself one of those newfangled rechargable batteries (because of course her camera doesn't take the ordinary AA batteries like her old one did... this one only takes the new, more expensive, and okay longer lasting ones). She's charging it RIGHT NOW. So in the morning there will be no excuses tolerated for having taken no photos of me for 2 days in a row. Ever again. No way.

I can see that these battery-things must somehow control the world. It seems like so many super important things get interrupted when a device is out of battery. I must investigate these powerful objects to see exactly where the source of their power lies, and find some way to use this to my advantage in the future. I will get back to you with my findings.

Love,

Bogart

Kafka-esque

Did you know that today is Franz Kafka's birthday? When I first heard that, I thought that mom was talking about our Kafka - my orange tabby buddy - I didn't know that there was a writer with the same name.

Today mom told me the story of how Kafka (our cat) got his name. Do you know the story that Franz Kafka wrote called The Metamorphosis? Well, apparently in it there is a guy named Gregor Samsa who wakes up one morning to realize he's turned into a giant cockroach. And you know what happens to those big cockroaches - they can't right themselves once they're on their backs with their big ol' bellies sticking out. Well apparently even as a tiny little puff of orange and white fur, Kafka had a knack for laying on his back with all four paws in the air and the belly that didn't make it easy to right himself.

Kafka demonstrates this position for your viewing pleasure.

Damn but it's really hot here again today.

I've been spending inordinate amounts of time in front of my new best friend, the fan. I love how I can get the sensation of sticking my head out of a moving car window just by sitting in front of it. I know I had my doubts about this alien machine before, but no more. I am now firmly in Camp Fan.

Behemoth the spotty cat couldn't move...

Sekhmet the black cat was hiding in the darkest corner she could find...

And we couldn't even find Aeon the brown tabby, which means that she's in serious heat hiding. How much longer does this summer thing last?

Here's a quick photo of my paw - the latest and greatest foxtail recovery. They really gave me a serious shave this time! Maybe that's why every bandage keeps sliding right off suspiciously just after mom puts a new one on...

Love,

Bogart

See all of the surreal, foreboding photos on my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com

Boom Boom

Well this weekend is the 4th of July. Big deal, I said, when mom told me about it. But then she reminded me that all the loud noises I've been hearing lately (and cowering from, ok ya got me) are due to this holiday.

I'm still firmly of the opinion that this shouldn't be allowed. Do you have any idea how LOUD those noises are? No you don't - you're just humans - and have substandard hearing. I promise you that the sounds are completely unbearable and would make you run for the hills too if you heard them like we do.

So in the spirit of making everyone feel guilty while they enjoy their holiday, I offer the following PSA on the Fourth of July:

While I'm with you that the giant light show is pretty, it's TOO FREAKING LOUD. You humans are so smart, you should be able to come up with a way to have the pretty light show WITHOUT ALL THE NOISE. The noise is so loud and confusing, it makes us dogs and cats run like the wind in the opposite direction. We'll jump fences, run out of yards, pull the leash until it comes with us (owner's arm attached or not), we'll basically do anything we can to get away from that awful sound. Every year many pets wind up homeless or in shelters because they ran away during a nearby fireworks show. Don't let yours be one of them!!!

Because we live right next to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, mom already has a plan to make sure that my 4 cat buddies and me don't freak out during the main fireworks show. That's a gooooood mom. It would be very difficult to run super fast with this bandage on my foot (but I'd find a way, I promise).

Oh, and those fireworks set off all of the car alarms in the neighborhood. What's up with that?

OK, PSA over and out.

Love,

Bogart

Every day there are fireworks on my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com

If It's Not an Airedale, It's Just a Dog

Thought I was going to miss seeing my Airedale buddies today because I had to go to the vet... when we got in the car I was sure that we were going straight to the vet with no fun for Bogie... well, I was wrong! I knew something was off when we went straight down Sunset instead of turning.

I did get to see my Dale buddies briefly - they had already been frolicking and were now on their way home - and mom gave her friend this cool Airedale sticker (you can get them on ebay) while I was wiggling my butt and saying hi to my favorite Dales. Then mom's friend gave her the coolest tile that she made! It's the Mona Lisa holding an Airedale, ok how cool is that???

Mom has such TALENTED friends, I feel so cool...

Love,

Bogart

See all of my glorious talents on my other blog:

www.toaireisdivine.com