I am Bogart Handsome Devil, Airedale Terrier and dog-about-town. I'm growing up in front of the entire world here on my blog... sharing my world with crazy cats and my mama Lulu. The King of Terriers is in da house!
Well hello my little friend. It's funny the things that you see when you're close to the ground. Mama didn't see him, but I did.
I certainly wasn't expecting to see Winnie the Pooh on my daily walkie... got anything for me in that honey pot? No thanks on any honey...
While I was busy looking downward, mama was looking up more at her level, and yes she spotted some interesting things today...
Smells good, looks good today. The rainstorm that started as soon as we walked out the door now seems to have stopped. That means we can walk further, right mama?
You just never know what you're going to find here in Portland. You just have to open your eyes (and have your camera handy):
Cheetahs... the fastest animals on earth. But even they don't want to get anything on their fine fur while cooking (well in their case, I suppose that would be mostly butchering, wouldn't it?). Who knew?
The girl cheetah is the Queen of Damn Near Everything and I would have to agree.
The boy cheetah just looks mortified. I would feel the same. While I am willing to bust out the raincoat, I too would balk at wearing an apron.
Tulips are EVERYWHERE here in Portland, out for all to see...
Every color (except black ones - mama was really looking for some of those really dark-almost black ones and couldn't find any - yes she's kind of odd)...
Big patches of them...
Or just a few swaying in the breeze.
Colors intermingling...
And in various states of petal-disrepair.
And like our friends the tulips can show us - never be afraid to be yourself (even if you're a squat red flower in an exotic purple-and-white bunch).
Oh lets face it, I'm just glad it's not pouring rain outside today. Even though that pouring rain is what makes these lovely flowers.
Well ok, probably not anything - probably not even most things - but at least to unveil mama's new hair color:
And who better to present her than MEEEEEE?
She's FUN. Even when she drives me crazy, she's still kind of FUN.
And she accepts my kisses all day long.
She knows when to share the spotlight...
When to be a background player...
And when to step back into my reflected glory.
We are quite a pair - not always sure of a pair of what - but we are always "in tune".
Yep, that's my mama...
Mama and I want to thank EVERYONE who reads our blog, checks in on us, leaves comments, sends us email... you make our days a little bit brighter (I'd make a joke about how bright mama's hair is right now, but well, that's just too easy...).
Coming up on April 21st on PBS - you MUST see this:
Bogart and I are pleased to pass along the information about this documentary, and we will definitely be watching. If you can get through the preview video above without tearing up, well, you are made of stone.
“Through a Dog’s Eyes” Highlights a Unique Teaching Philosophy Based on Love and Kindness; Documentary Will Change the Way People Think About Their Own Dogs
Millions of Americans with disabilities rely on hope to get them through each day; hope for a breakthrough; hope for gaining or reclaiming independence; and hope for a friend. Each year, hundreds of them find hope at a handful of organizations across the country that train assistance dogs for people with disabilities. The new primetime PBS documentary, Through a Dog’s Eyes, follows the life-changing journey of recipients as they go through the heartwarming and sometimes difficult process of receiving and being matched with a service dog. Jennifer Arnold, founder of one of the nation’s largest service dog organizations, Canine Assistants, shows her unique teaching methods and lets viewers have an intimate look at the canine-recipient matching process. Based on the book of the same name by Jennifer Arnold, Through a Dog’s Eyes, premiering April 21, 2010 at 8pm ET/7pm CT (check local listings), will have you seeing dogs in a whole new light. The documentary is narrated by Neil Patrick Harris and funded by Milk-Bone® brand.
Through a Dog’s Eyes will explore the science behind Jennifer Arnold’s teaching methods and follow the stories of recipients as their lives begin to change with the help of some very special dogs. Produced by tpt National Productions, in association with Partisan Pictures, Through a Dog’s Eyes offers inspiring, hopeful stories that show how dogs can affect everyone’s life.
“This film will change the way people think about their own dogs,” said Naomi S. Boak, Executive Producer, who also produced the critically acclaimed and Primetime Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer’s. “Through a Dog’s Eyes shows the importance of the human-canine bond and how, when fostered, that bond can grow into a beautiful, life-changing relationship.”
Through a Dog’s Eyes is an optimistic, buoyant documentary that follows the journey that a handful of recipients go through as they meet their new best friend—a Canine Assistants dog.
Bryson Casey, 30, served in Iraq as a captain with the National Guard. Upon his return home to Kansas City, Mo., Bryson suffered a debilitating injury in a car accident, and is now a quadriplegic. Will Wagner, Bryson’s Canine Assistants dog, be up to the task of providing him with companionship, as well as helping to navigate the simple tasks of daily life?
Aiden, 6, lives in Denver, Colo. Aiden was born with cerebral palsy and spends most of his time in a wheelchair. Aiden hopes that his dog Nala will help him at school with routine tasks such as picking up pencils, as well as offer silent support in social situations. Will Nala’s presence helps break down barriers and allows other children to feel more comfortable around Aiden? Viewers will be inspired by Aiden’s never-ending optimism and his zeal for life.
Destiny, 11, lives in La Vergne, Tenn. Destiny and her dog, Salsa, immediately fell in love with each other during Canine Assistants’ training camp in November. Suffering from a rare form of epilepsy, Destiny has constant low-level seizures around the clock. Will Salsa have the ability to alert Destiny of impending seizures, providing comfort not just to Destiny, but to her family? Her parents are hoping to offer their daughter a measure of freedom she has never before experienced.
Twins, Chase & Connor, 7, live in Largo, Fla. The twins both have a form of cerebral palsy known as spastic diplegia, which affects the muscles of the lower body. Both boys hope their Canine Assistants dogs will help with everyday tasks and be companions. But will Chase realize his dream of one day walking with the support of his dog Oakley?
Through a Dog’s Eyes also follows the drama as recipients are matched with their canine companions and as they learn how to work with their new partners. It’s an inspiring family journey. Arnold describes her teaching methods and discusses the life-changing impact these dogs have on recipients. In addition, the world’s foremost dog expert, Dr. Ádám Miklósi, head of the Department of Ethology at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary, and founder of the Family Dog Research Project, takes a role in Through a Dog’s Eyes by analyzing the organization’s training methods and discussing how science supports the training philosophy.
“Milk-Bone® is proud to sponsor Through a Dog’s Eyes,” said Christie Fleming, Vice President of Marketing, Del Monte Foods. “As a long-time supporter of Canine Assistants, we hope this documentary will create greater understanding of assistance dogs and the ways they can change the lives of people with disabilities.”
Jennifer Arnold’s teaching methods will be the subject of a memoir, slated to be released in early September. The book, also titled “Through a Dog’s Eyes,” is being published by Spiegel & Grau, a division of Random House.
Mama just LOVES taking pictures of my shadow. Especially while I'm walking across the Broadway Bridge. I had to convince her to do a long walkie today - she took the day off of work, and what other reason could there be for not going to that work place? LONG WALKIE PLEASE
So even though we just did a big eastside tour yesterday, WE'RE BACK FOR MORE.
We do change things up a little bit each time - never walking down the exact same streets. You never know what you will find when you do this, and I can personally highly recommend it.
I focus on pine cones - you may focus on something else. Mama enjoys the vibrant flowers, for example.
All of this walking is making me super duper hungry. And we weren't planning such a long walk, so mama wasn't prepared to sit down and eat. What does that mean? A quick trip to Mickey D's that we spotted. Yes, a double cheeseburger will do nicely, thank you mama.
Laurelhurst Park. This never gets old.
Lots of greenery, lots of smiling people, lots of airedmiration. Perfect.
Remember how I told you about walking down different streets? Sometimes you find really cool stuff:
Kitties that are apparently completely uninterested in me.
Beer tanks being installed.
A building that looks like a shipping crate bunker.
This is definitely a funny town... this is Bogart Handsome Devil, your intrepid reporter (who will work for cheeseburgers)...
