Tuesday 29 April 2014

Alpo Lapdog Computer.

Hi there, yes it's me, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar!  My fictional human, Gary and I, do so hope you enjoyed the weekend interludes we pawsted.  We did switch off comments because we knew you might be one of those busy commenting on that alternative challenge to the Alphabark Challenge, 2014!  Thus, we just wanted you, whether you were doing the A to Z or not, to have some nice, relaxing moments at this site.

Barking of commenting.  Start again, speaking of commenting, my poor human struggles to keep up with commenting.  He begged somebody to send him a cloning machine.  No luck.  He asked the wee folks who live in our magical garden to maybe help.  No luck.  They're too busy packing up their mushroom houses in prepawration for the move to my fictional human's new home.

Fictional Gary left me to pawnder the pawsiblities.  I think I might have a solution to help him keep up with his commenting.  When he moves to his new home, I shall come over and help him by commenting on sites using my very own computer.  I'm going to pawchase an Alpo lapdog computer.  This should make it a whole lot easier for my fictional human, Gary.  Pawblem solved, pawhaps...

Gary was telling me he went to a "laptop dancing club."  I have no idea what he's talking about.  I can't imagine a laptop dancing.
Now it's time for a well deserved doggy nap.  The hectic life of being a doggy diva and forever avoiding the pesky puparazzi, can take its toll.

Saturday 26 April 2014

Weekend Interlude. Life's What You Make It.

Life's what you make it.  Surround yourself with those who encourage rather than those that discourage.  The shared hopes, dreams and goals, a catalyst for contentment.  Never let somebody intent on bringing you down to their negative level instil self-doubts about your positivity.  Positivity breeds positivity.  Believe in yourself.  Seek out the yaysayers and distance yourself from the naysayers.

Please take some time out, relax and gently breathe.  Sense we are all in this together.  All different, all equal in a diverse world.  A world where we can learn from each other.  A world where when we stop learning, we stop living.

Comments are once again switched off.  Please, just sense this ambience of goodwill.
Time for some more weekend reflection.  My friend, life's what you make it.

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Carpets Get Laid.

Near the end of June, or early July, I should of moved into my new place where I'll be living on my own.  A start of a new adventure, a new beginning.  The start of my son, Tristan, moving on with his life as he embraces his own independence with our beloved Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar!  Much upheaval, physically and emotionally.

I've been getting rid of unwanted clutter. Want to start with brand new items in my brand new apartment. Contemplating getting some occasional furniture. Which does make me wonder what such furniture is at other times.  Considering purchasing a conversation piece.  I once had a conversation piece.  It was a weird looking stool you sat on.  My guests found it odd to sit on a weird looking stool.

I would like to buy a grandfather clock.  Unfortunately, I've yet to see one that looked anything like a grandfather.

My new apartment will be needing carpets.  I phoned up, "Carpets Get Laid."  "Carpets Get Laid, how may I help you?" asked the lady on the other end of the phone.  "Can I get a shag there, please?", I inquired. "Certainly not!  This is a carpet store, you pervert!", came her shocked reply. *Click* followed by *Ring tone....*   Then I remembered that I'm in England and yes "shag", as you probably now know, has nothing to do with a type of carpet.
Boxes packed, symbolic of the impending move. 

Sunday 20 April 2014

A Weekend Interlude. Into The Mystic.

Once again, please take some time out, breathe gently, relax and smile.  If you're doing the A to Z Challenge, you may be trying to catch up on your comments.  Thus, while you do that, my comments are once again switched off.   If you're just passing by this blog, I hope you'll stay for a bit of tranquillity.  Take this moment of gentle reflection while you visit here and..... "Just like way back in the days of old.  And together we will float, into the mystic....."  

Thursday 17 April 2014

The Alphabark Challenge, 2014! 14 To 26!

Here, have a smooch 
From this lovable pooch
No A to Zed
It fills me with dread
So mark
And hark
Here's the Alphabark!
Part number two
Just for you!
If you missed part one
Here was the Fun!
"N" is for "Noodles"
Oodles of noodles
You stick them in water
Just like you ought ta
And what have you got
One silly noodle stuck to the pot

"O" is for "Ogopogo"
Way to go, go, go
Canadian lake creature
Is what we feature
Ogopogo can kick Nessie's rear
Take that, you Loch Ness dear

"P" is for "Poodle"
Which rhymes with noodle
Doggy jumps through hoops
And you scoop its poops

"Q" is for "Query"
Hi publisher, deary

"R" is for "Rivet"
Don't you forget
The noise of a frog
Over there on a log
There you go
I toad you so

"S" is for "Sasquatch"
Go have a watch
Don't say, "Big Foot"
Or you might be kaput

"T" is for "Toadstool"
How very cool
No, not that load
Not a stool from a toad

"U" is for "Unread"
Start over, instead

"V" is for "Vacuum" 
Instead of a broom
Knowing my luck
My vacuum wont suck

"W" is for "Weird"
Oh, how they cheered
For the Alphabark
That's having a lark
Not lark as in bird
Haven't you heard

"X" is for "Xerox"
Photocopy your cocks
Place your butt on the screen
How very obscene

"Y" is for "Y am I doing this?"
Am I taking the p**s?
Look below
And you will know

"Z" is for "Zest"
My good-natured jest
I did this with Zeal
How do you feel? 

The other half done
Oh what fun
The Alphabark Challenge
My friendly revenge.

Wednesday 16 April 2014

We're Not Here.

Please note, Penny's Alphabark Challenge, 2014, will continue shortly.

We interrupt normal scheduling to make the following announcement.  

We do seem to get around.  Did that sound right?  We're not here. Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar and I, her fictional human, are actually over here: Annalisa Crawford-Wake up, Eat, Write, Sleep, to celebrate the birthday of Annalisa. Something about the number between 39 and 41.

Glad to see you here and hope to see you there. 

Sunday 13 April 2014

Another Weekend Interlude.

Time for you to relax.  Drift away.  Sense the gentle ambience.
Comments are switched off.   Just enjoy some Sunday reflections.
Come with me to that magical place
Where the sea and the sky embrace..........

Tuesday 8 April 2014

A Tale Of Tess, Retold.

Our good friend, Ida, at "Reflex Reactions", put up a touching, tender, emotive story about her beloved dog, Ashton.  The story in question, if you haven't read it, can be found here : 26 Greatest loves of my life - Let's call him...Dog  Her story impacted Penny and I so much.  It inspired me to share and archived posting from May 28, 2009.  

A Tale of Tess.

You hear remarkable tales about the bravery, the sheer determination of our pets, indeed, what I prefer to call, unconditional, non-judgemental family members.  This is one such tale.  A tale of Tess.

It was the summer of 1986.  The World's Fair, Expo '86, was in full swing in downtown Vancouver.  Every night brought a spectacular fireworks display.  A visual and audio delight, for most.  From our apartment window, my wife and I could see the distant flashes and glows of the pyrotechnics extravaganza.

One night, we decided that it would be fun to witness the fireworks display from the very heart of all the activity.  So off we went in the car, along with Tess, our faithful, loving dog. Block after city block, we travelled.  Busy roads, plenty of traffic, but we knew how to get to our final destination of False Creek.  We both knew our way around Vancouver very well.
  
Upon our arrival, we proceeded to find a good vantage point to enjoy the evening of fireworks.  All was well for the first few minutes.  We marvelled at the sights and sounds. Then came a very loud boom and flash.  Tess panicked and wriggled her way out of her collar.  We stood there stunned as Tess fled in terror.  Now all we had was her lead still attached to her collar.

We called her name, "Tess! Tess!", all to no avail.  With our voices drowned out by the boom of the fireworks, a sense of hysteria, a real concern for her welfare, began to sink into our thinking process.  What are we going to do?  For ages we searched.  Then the awful reality hit us hard, we must go home, without our beloved dog.

The next day we went back to False Creek and put up several posters with a description of Tess and a contact number.  A few days later, we received a call from a lady who said that a dog fitting the description in the poster, had slept overnight on her porch with her cat. However, the next morning, the dog had left.  Well, this was a glimmer of hope.  Maybe it was Tess.  Maybe she was alive.

As best we could, we went about our daily business.  Day upon day passed.  A day became a week.  A week became two.  Thoughts of Tess became more of a fleeting, yet no less painful thought.  I was about to go to work on the nightshift, only enough time to have a pork chop, before heading out the door.  *Scratch, scratch, thump!*  "What was that?"  We both said in unison.  The sound seemed to be coming from the door.  I rushed over, opened the door and Tess collapsed in the hallway.

Before us lay a terribly thin, bedraggled dog.  Barely able to walk, she limped into the living room.  The extremes of emotion experienced at the moment were so profound.  Joy, elation, admiration, love for a dog that had touched us in more ways than we could've ever imagined.   With tears streaming down my face, I hugged Tess and gave her my pork chop.

Block after city block, she must have wandered.  Dazed, hungry, scared, confused.  Yet with sheer determination and that uncanny sense that animals possess, she found her way home. I look back on that very special night and it inspires me.   For if I can show half of the resilience that Tess displayed, I know that I can be a better human.
From: Knight St & E 49th Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada To: False Creek
The above map shows False Creek (B) to where we lived at 49th Avenue and Knight Street (A).  A distance of about six miles.

Then came the day when we had to make one of the hardest decisions of our lives.  We were moving to England and that meant the dreaded quarantine for dogs.  Tess would have to stay in a kennel for six months to be observed for any potential rabies.  We worried, that if we did this, what sort of a dog would she be after the six months.   Reluctantly, sadly, painfully we gave up Tess to a wonderful couple who we knew would provide her with plenty of love.  That was late September 1987, and to this very day, I recall how heartbreaking it was when we drove away from her new home.   Her new life was beginning. Our new life was beginning.

Whilst writing this blog, I had to stop several times.  The tears  welled up.  As I wrote this, I experience all those emotions  that happened so many years ago.   As I wrote this, I was thinking about the final paragraph and how I would phrase it.  Last year I was in Vancouver and found out what became of Tess.  That couple loved and adored her, that I was assured.

  
One day Tess got out of their garden.  Poor Tess was run over, her life, a life that brought so much pleasure to others, was ended by an oncoming train.  I was devastated for all concerned.  Upon hearing the news, I visualised Tess in my mind.  I thought of a family member whose love, her eagerness to please, touched so many hearts.   A tale of Tess, never forgotten, always loved.

My wife with Tess when we moved to our home in Langley, British Columbia.

Saturday 5 April 2014

A Weekend Interlude.

I've kinda' worked out that a number of folks are doing something relating to the alphabet with 26 letters. Time for a time out.  Have a bit of happy music.  Even though I don't participate, I do wish those involved continue to embrace the ideals of a sharing, caring blogging community.

Hope this song gives you a nice, happy feeling.  Enjoy your weekend and smile.

I've switched the comments off.  Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar and I, her fictional human, shall thus endeavour to visit as many blogs as possible over the weekend.   So please, my friend,  reflect upon this weekend interlude.