International Animal Blogging Event

Heads up, furiends. I'm working on my 1st ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL BLOGGING EVENT. It will take place, right here, on this blog, beginning April 1st and ending on April 18th, when all the winners of the free giveaways will be announced. I will accept links March 31- April 10th. We can all come together and have lots of fun. The rules are quite simple. If you want to participate, you have to place the event's logo on your sidebar, email me a link to the post with the event's logo (yes same logo but on your actual post) and instructions for your readers. You just have to figure out your one or more free giveaways--that's up to you. I will then glance at your post and if it's G-rated and satisfies the two conditions, I'll post it on my blog for all the others to share and be able to visit with ease. Those of you who don't want to give away anything can still participate. You can just use the links to get to meet new furiends and if you like, leave a comment (only one per post) so that you can become eligible to get the free giveaways. This is an event for bloggers. This is important as we, the active participants, will need to contact you at the end of the event to find out where to mail the prizes. We are all going to be winners here. We'll either gain new friends or prizes or both.

Until then: TELL ALL YOUR FURIENDS! Any and all critters are welcome, that would include anything from tiny sugar gliders, to crazy coyotes and wooly mammoths. SPREAD THE WORD and let's have some fun!

I am looking for a cool badge/logo and a catchy name/acronym (such as: International Animal Blogging Event/IABE, or All Critters United/ACU etc). Since I came to you my close furiends feel free to brainstorm with me. 

Oh, you may wanna check out my post on a different worldwide bloggers' event, One World One Heart from which I got my inspiration, and for which I am grateful. Here's the link: OWOH

* * *

On my PSA on the dangers of hitchhiking Remington left me the following comment: 

Hey Twink -- that sounds like fun! I am going to go and try to get into someone's shirt! Should be interesting! I will let you know how it turns out....or maybe you will have to come and bail me out....

You probably know I love a good laugh and I was tickled at the thought of Remi in anybody's shirt. Remington, did you mean...

Like this?

Or like that?

Because anything is possible in Blogland!

Twink!


PS: It has come to my attention that Hope and Greyz, in corroboration with Fumbled Returns, are running a fun contest with great prizes. Check it out! It's titled, Fumbled Returns Mutt Madness Contest.

Santa Monica Promenade | Not So Sunny California

As I told you yesterday, we were entertaining friends from out of town this past weekend, so M decided, despite all the weather forecast warnings, to take them to the Santa Monica Promenade.

We felt tiny

Especially next to our bro

(see the lady snicker in the back?)

Frankie and I are getting better on the double leash

But sometimes we can pull too hard

See the human straining with the effort to hold us back?

We stopped for coffee and Frankie was convinced that

 I was getting whipping cream behind her back

She finally accepted the lack of whipped cream,

but she was bummed by it

M didn't bring any homemade dog treats either!

M decided that the weather would hold a while longer and her friends should definitely get to see Venice Beach. BOL

It wasn't such a great idea, was it, M?

That's why this is our only photo from Venice

The storm hit fast and hard and we ran for cover

The drive back took forever because both Frankie, the chiweenie, and I were in a hurry to get to our warm home. I was particularly missing my heating pad.

One thing you should know about Frankie,

she always says her prayers before going to sleep

 I was so tired...I simply crashed

I apologize for sounding so exhausted in today's post, but please take into account that I'm still commuting back and forth between Los Angeles and France. Mack and Sally Ann took us all the way to the French Alps where  Asta temporarily took over as our tour guide. We're still having a ball, but with all the travel, time difference, skiing the Alps, jet lag, and that horribly cold walk at Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Promenade ... a pup's gotta rest sometimes. 

Have a great week!

Twink!

Chihuahua Advice | PSA

I say that it's time for another little PSA. Today, I would like to talk to you about the dangers of hitchhiking (aka thumbing, tramping, hitching a ride). Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people for a ride to cover either a long or short distance. For today's purposes, we're going to have to assume that hitchhiking can also occur in sedentary situations.
I admit, I'm a compulsive hitchhiker. Yesterday, a day predicted to be cold and wet, M decided to take Frankie and me for a stroll at the world-famous Santa Monica Promenade (known for its weekly farmer's market, cool and diverse dining, shopping, and terrific street performers). Walking was tough, the throng was scary for someone as tiny as me.
Soon, I felt tired and cold and I did something I shouldn't have. I hitched a ride in somebody's shirt, again. Dear furiends, beware, the photos that follow are ones of great violence and not intended for those who scare easily, like me.

At first, Frankie and I were both offered the lift

Were we doing the right thing? I wondered

When it was just me, I started to ponder

How safe was this?

That's when The Chin started to approach me

OMD Now what?

Help!

Protect your life. Don't hitchhike!

Twink!

A Whole Lotta Tooting Going On

A uniquely disturbing aroma has been cutting through our breathing air in  my home, recently. At first, we blamed it on the skunk family that lives under out hot tub, wrong! Then on the mold that bloomed after our house flooded (I'll spare you those photos), but it just didn't seem right either. The assaults were potent and they hit in waves, randomly but consistently.

Just yesterday, Frankie, Linguini, and I were passed out on the lawn taking in every ray of the sun in anticipation of a rather stormy weekend when M (think James Bond), decided to join us. She got her supplies (coffee cup and camera) and came outside. Aaaah, she stretched and smiled at us. But then her expression changed and she startled us all by jumping up and down, spilling her coffee, and yelling, "AHA! I finally figured it out!" Huh? We all stared at her clueless and annoyed by the interruption, plus she was being disruptive.

This is what got M all worked up

Frankie who doesn't know to stay out of M's way when she's agitated, went to investigate

I knew then that we were all busted. We had all been secretly visiting a remote part of our yard enjoying fresh fruit off our trees for days, but we had been discreet about it. I had warned Frankie to hide hers better, but she's only a baby after-all, I can't expect much from her. Poor M, now that I think about it, she must be suffering. Linguini spends most of her day right by her side, sleeping and tooting. I spend much time in her arms, tooting quietly. As for Frankie, you know how she sleeps!

Need I say more?

Actually I want to say one more thing about Frankie's sleeping habits because it's the only time of the day this chiweenie exhibits any signs of dog intelligence. 

I don't have a photo, so I'm going to ask you to use your imagination.

Imagine me being Frankie. Okay?

Now, imagine my head being Frankie's other end.

One last visualization: think of M's head on that pillow right next to Frankie's rear.

  

Mind you, Frankie only sticks her duster out of the cover after she's tooted. You understand now why I think she maybe smart after all?

I apologize for the dirty post, but I felt it was necessary. I was hoping it might be helpful to some of--especially if you have access to citrus fruit.

Twink!

Chiweenie Friday (8)

Hello! Frankie here. Twinkie's back so now I don't get to post much. I wonder if I should send her to watch over Flat Brutus (keep her busy and away), but I know I'll just miss her within the first few hours. I'm confusing me now. I just wanted to talk to you about the message I got on our answering machine yesterday.

What? 

I'm so excited! The lovely dog obedience training expert, Mrs Cyndy Wood, trainer extraordinaire, called for me. I couldn't believe my ears. I was in her class this past December and apparently I made quite an impression on her. I'm going to slightly paraphrase the phone call, just a tad. Mrs Cyndy called to invite me to join her Canine Good Citizen Class that starts this month.

I'm so excited. She even said I'd ace the class, that's how much she believes in me. I, of course, must start training immediately.

I'll train to use the computer

I'll practice my "shake" 

I cross my heart and paws and promise to be a good citizen

The best part about my news is that I get some time alone with M this way. Of course, she's going to have to practice a few things before our class starts. M needs to practice her back ups. She's good with the car but not her legs. During our last class together, M backed into Petco's shelves and dumpeded two huge pig ear bags right next to me. Needless to say, we blew that class off. I was shaking for an hour and I didn't stop until we got home. So, M needs to practice too. 

Now, can I just tell you how I really feel???

Deliriously happy and overexcited, tee hee

Mrs Cyndy made my day, my week, my month! I'm going to make her proud. This is only going to be the beginning. After I graduate, I'll move on to more important dog obedience training classes, anything AKC has to offer. I think the first one I'm going to tackle is a course that will teach me to become a Siberador Retriever, like Juno.  

I loved sharing with y'all again. Be not bad!

Frankie

(PeeS: Nobody said I had to be potty trained to pass my test, shhhh)

Pet Photo Contest Results And Awards

I have been having too much fun recently and the result is that I have been remiss in posting some long overdue "thank yous" and acknowledgments.

It's already been over a month since we went on our Max World Tour. I don't need to remind you about what a trip and what an emotional roller-coaster that was for all of us. I do however want to share the beautiful photo montage Asta's mother put together. I can't get enough of it. Thank you Asta and family.

Extra kudos for making me visible

Next, in the order of business and hopefully in chronological order, is the fabulous award I got from my furiends at luvbeingachihuahua. Coco, the chihuahua, initially gave it to me but now I want to thank her sister, Tiffy, too. Thank you girl-furiends!

I many not be drop dead gorgeous, but apparently my blog's beautiful

According to Coco, there are no rules attached to this award (really?) but one must pass it on to ten furiends. Well, guess what! I'm not doing it this time. I always sweat and agonize as to who to give my awards to, and then the rest of us, ehem, just put it out for grabs. So, in order to at least partially do what I'm supposed to, I'm passing this on to my 2010 furiends. That makes it easy for you to know who you are. Congratulations to the winners and welcome to my crazy world.

I had a great time, leisurely competing in Huffle's Cat-O-Lympic Event, a pawesome pet photo contest. It was too easy so I enjoyed it the most. We all got to lie back and compete from our comfortable napping positions, only problem was, Huffle asked for help picking a winner. That was too hard! Check out the beautiful badge Huffle created for this event. 

Classy, huh?

Next I attended my second Pup Scout meeting ever, from France. Captain and Candy were pawesome leaders. Ms Bailey did a fantastic demonstration, slightly off subject but useful nonetheless. 

I learned a lot about the eradication of squirrels, in case anybody needs my help. Thank you, Martine. I still love my gray squirrel though. 

The last issue I would like to address is my recent trip to France. I was invited by Mack and Sally Ann. If you've never been to Paris, I recommend you check out our trip. Not only was it a blast, it was also educational. Mack is an excellent tour guide and all he wanted for his hard work was a milk bone. What a treat, um, trip. Here, I have to apologize to my tour guide. I kinda popped back and forth from Paris to Los Angeles, because I had misplaced my itinerary. 

We're currently visiting Lyon. 

Photo courtesy of Mack and Sally Ann

Apparently, I look good even in pink

Thank you blog-furiends and blogland! I would never have broadened my horizons this much in a million years it if wasn't for you. 

Twink!

Blue Heeler Photo Op

EDUCATING RITA (HOLLY), The Blue Heeler

Twink!