Cats

I will refrain from mentioning mistress's lack of success at sorting anything computer related.

About the only thing I have noticed her do recently is mop the floors - and write stuff on her blogs.

We received a Holiday card the other day. I was pleased about that, I have not lost hope that one day - preferably before next Holidays - she will actually print some cards for me.

Anyway, just so pups don't forget who I am, I thought I would mention some fine cat stories. Well, cat stories anyway.

Mistress went down the town the other day and came back smelling of C.A.T.

Apparently there is a rather sleek and gorgeous black one who hangs around the court buildings in Main Street. Master seems to think he is feral but he certainly looks well-fed to Misery Mistress.

She stood there for ages talking to him - get this - and making silly cat noises so that he came and purred to her, and rubbed himself against her. Just as well she was ill-prepared and didn't have the camera. Next she would be wanting to put it on my blog.

Really mistress, you need to get a life. Without cats. The only one to communicate with cats around here is ME.

So last week, we all skipped out for our evening walk. On our way we met our neighbour across the road, who feeds lots of feral cats and adopts them too.

Other people stopped to say hello to me, as I like to be sociable and make new friends. One woman went off in one direction and then came back again to say a double hello. Hehe, what a charmer I am.

Then mistress decided to go to a boring lecture with one of the people we met. Yawn. Master and I went back to our flat for a snoozelet.

Our best trip though happened when Misery actually took the camera for once. I avoided the camera. (As usual).

Avoiding.



Thinking.



Misery took a picture of a ship. (As usual). Apparently it is a destroyer. I wonder if it destroys cats?

The cat destroyer (I think).



Then we went home and there was a C.A.T. under the car just outside our block. I tried to get it, but master was not having a bar of it.

Anyway, we went out later again when it was dark, and took a different route.

And there, just outside Trafalgar Cemetery was another of the little terrors. I tried to dig my claws into the pavement and pull master towards it, but no, another unsuccessful cathunt. Still at least Misery was too slow to take a photo.

Always important to check for cats everywhere.



There are cats somewhere, I know. I just need to be let off the lead to get them all.

Snooze update

Whoops. That should say News update. I think I have snoozing on the brain.

I wanted to let pups know that I have stepped down from my role as DWB Snooze - I mean - News Editor.

As Misery Mistress needs to sort out the computer, or rather the compatibility between the computer and the printer, I reluctantly decided that we can't really commit to updating the news when we don't have the time for it right now.

It's not just the News. As well as looking for news stories, we also have to patrol the blogs to make sure that dogblogs are still in existence, that they meet the values and ethics of DWB, and to check for any major changes - such as members who need to be moved to Daisy Chain status.

And I would like to apologise to any pups out there who may have sent news via the email on the News website. Misery trashed all her emails and account info the last time she uninstalled her operating system so we have not been able to check on any potential news stories that might be waiting there. Sorry about that pups.

What else? Some of you have been asking about the movie project. Well, like everything else, it is on the back burner until the hardware/software probs are sorted. Sadly.

When Misery finished her 50,000 word novel - which was NOT about me - some of you suggested she should write a story which involved me. So I am thinking about maybe having another blog to map out the movie stuff, and write a nice long PippaStory.

But not yet. Misery has far too many blogs anyway. And if I let her start another one right now, she will never sort out the computer issues. She will be tap tap tapping away merrily all day instead of getting on with fixing.

So if we aren't around for a while - we are fixing. And if we are around, that means I haven't put my paw down firmly enough, and she is still putting off the fixing. I'll keep you updated on her lack of progress.

Gotcha - or rather GotThem - Day

Well, everypup, today is the Big Day. My GotThem Day. Because after all I found them.

I think lots of you already know how I found Master and Misery Mistress wandering around the hillside and the streets in the Spanish village I was dumped in. They looked so forlorn and only had two oldish dogs, so I knew they needed another pup.

If you haven't read the links, they are on the sidebar under My Story 1 & 2.

Now Misery usually forgets my GotThem Day, but as we posted about it last week, even she has managed to remember. However I have noticed very little different about it. A few measly helpings of toast, certainly not a Special Day Helping. Nor did she leave the rolls and butter out when she had finished which I thought was extra mean of her.

But as luck would have it, a few days ago, notification came that we had a parcel to collect. As it didn't have my name on the card, Misery thought it was for her. How silly. Naturally it was for ME. As the parcel place doesn't open on the weekend and Monday was a Bank Holiday, Misery had to wait until Tuesday to go and collect it.

The customs officer was very impressed with the parcel. She loved the dog pictures on the label, and the Paw it Forward sticker.

See the nice stickers (and my tasties, one slightly the worse for wear)


I checked it out of course, had a good sniff and tried to tear it apart.

Looking underneath


Trying to get hold of the corner


And then I had a little play with the toys. First I played with the tuggy and the ball. I like tennis balls, and have some yellow ones on my terrace but none of them were new. I like to watch them roll down the steps and make Misery go and and fetch them for me. And I have never had a purple one before. Then I got my paws on the tasties and tried to demolish them before Misery took them away from me.

My lovely purple ball


More goodies?


My tasty just before I demolished it


The green tasty


Trying to demolish the green tasty too


Hey! Where have they gone?


Toyless :(


Today I have been allowed to play with my ball and my tuggy thing. I am not very good with toys because street dogs don't have toys (apart from bits of wood that they find). But I like the purple ball very much, and Misery is helping me learn how to play tugs with the other one. Oooh, and I have just discovered it squeaks. Hehe.

Me and my toy on my sofa


Getting hold of it with my teethies


Toys are hard work - time for a rest


A big bark-out to Addie for such wonderful gifts, especially as they arrived in time for my GotThem Day.

ETA Misery and I have changed my music for my GotThem Day to my favourite song - but clever Princess Eva noticed it before I got chance to say so. How nice to have such a darling clever girlfriend.

Keeping order

I have noticed the appearance of some little trouble-makers around my normal dog-walking route.

As you know, I am nice friendly Pippadog, even though Jacks, Narra, Tuchuck and Rousseau seem to think I was looking at this little pup like lunch.

But the other day we were just setting off and a ferocious Jack Russelly sort of thing came charging round the corner at me and decided to attack. Attack me! Nice friendly Pippa. Well that is, until something decides to attack me. I decided to give it some of its own medicine, but master wasn't impressed and held me off. He also made sure that my neck was a long way from the little monster so that it couldn't get hold of my neck.

Then the woman came round the corner, and master suggested it might be a Very Good Idea if she used a lead in future. Instead of letting the dog run riot attacking gentle giants. Quite right master, although I was trying to put him right when you interfered.

And yesterday, master and I were sitting chatting to some of our friends and another woman came up with a dog. It was on a lead. And it looked like some of my friends so I wasn't worried. Then it jumped up, as though it was going to bite my nose. I reacted very quickly. I lifted up a big Pippapaw and gave it a smart cuff around the head. Ha! Everyone laughed, and the woman told her dog, that was what it deserved for being naughty. Perhaps I am a boxer in disguise.

Now, speaking of boxers or rather boxes, I am embarrassed to say this but on Boxing Day mistress finally tried to do a photoshoot with the aim of getting e-cards to everyone for new year. As you can all see, nothing has come of it so far. This may of course be because master and I were not co-operating. I have passed on the Ao4 lessons to master and he is getting quite good. I am better of course. So here I am, not looking at the camera.

My purposeful walk. No time for silly photos.


Avoiding mistress. What a fine big cannon. And an even bigger boat behind.


Looking down the quay. Master looking down at me. What is mistress's shadow doing there?


Checking out the peeps walking past. Mistress is still determined to get on the picture with her silly shadow.


A leg shot. Very good mistress. Pure class.

Butter wouldn't melt.....and the annual review

Well every pup, inspired by all your helpful and pawsitive comments regarding my food foraging, especially Jackson's - I just hope you got some credit for saving on the washing up by going for the self service buffet option - I thought I would have another go on Boxing Day.

Misery had gone to the shops, which is one of her duties, although she always tries to put it off on some spurious excuse that she has to supervise me. But master remained behind and agreed to prepare lunch. When he had put all the veg trimmings in the bin he decided to take it outside, so down he went.

Naturally I wandered over to have a little lookie to see if there was anything left for me. And what did I find? Yes, the nice butter dish. Sadly there were no bread rolls to go with the butter as I had eaten all those on Christmas Eve. I carefully put my front paws up and reached out for the butter dish, and then gently placed it on the floor.

I knew I had to be quick because master wouldn't be long putting the rubbish outside, so I licked the dish out as fast as possible. When master came in, it was nice and clean. I was waiting for him to be pleased at my contributions to the washing up, but he picked up the dish and said "Bad dog, go to your sofa."

Well, I was going to my sofa anyway after my nice find, but I thought it was a bit churlish to call me bad dog. If master doesn't want me to eat butter he shouldn't leave it out. In fact, I have to report, he has since been putting it in the fridge all the time now. And the new bread rolls seem to live in a cupboard. I foresee a starving new year.

.............

Onto Pippa's Review of 2008. Last year I did a review, which I really enjoyed putting together as it is so easy to forget what has happened during the year.

So in January, mistress forgot my Gotcha Day - which is 14 Jan mistress, please remember next year - and we went back to my finca, so I had a fine time playing on my terrace. I said goodbye to my new friend Durango, who sadly was only with the Brat Pack for a very short time.



February was mostly a nice sunny month and I lay outside smelling the jasmine on my terrace and sat at the table waiting for my omelette. I got treats from my darlings Tasha and Eva, got lots of awards and had a few girlfriend problems, so I decided not to look for any more. It was also leap year so I thought I better let all my girlfriends know that I didn't expect any proposals. Phew! Didn't get any - apart from a half-hearted one from Sophs. Oh, and we went for a fine excursion into the hills, and got stuck down a river bed too. A busy month.



In March we decided to go back to my Gibflat to check out what the Gibcats had been up to in my absence. Master seemed to think he might go look for some more work too. We did a black and white photoshoot as the prelimary for my new career on the silver screen. LacyLulu gained her angel wings.

In April we travelled up and down to my finca again but only at the weekend as master had found himself some work. More importantly I wrote the first draft of my film project.

May was a sociable month chatting to people at the marina and the guardia civil when we crossed the border. It was also a very sad month because darling Tasha, one of my earliest and sweet-hearted girlfriends, went to the Rainbow Bridge.

I became a restaurant critic in June, which I can recommend to all pups I must say. At the beginning of the month, I posted about Harry, my very good friend, who had overcome huge pawlinesses 18 months previously, but finally went to the bridge at the end of May. And at the end of the month, young Baby Love's health problems finally became too much for her to fight any more, and she joined so many of our friends.

July was pretty much like June - lots more food out for my new role as restaurant critic, and Crum-Pets at home. But more sadness as three more lovely friends left us - Kelsey Ann from the Kapp Pack, another very special girlfriend, and Blogs from the Dogs in the UK had such a triste month, first with Megann going to the bridge, and then KuBrin.



In August I got a Beetle-Pet, but she didn't last long - not my fault, I must add. I shed lots of fur in the hot summer. Mistress was busy celebrating their wedding anniversary - for most of the month I think. September was pretty quiet too, although mistress managed to take some silly photos of me. We reminded everyone how I got my name.

The best thing about October was that one day I escaped on my morning walk with master to go on a cat hunt. But I found my way into a courtyard and was trapped, so my fun didn't last long. And I posted a rather good doga photo.



November was a mixed month. The good news was that I discovered yeast extract on toast is delicious, I played Nose Expose on Bolo's blog, and finally revived the movie project. Mistress spent too much time writing a silly novel. The sad news was that beautiful Freda went to the bridge. Lovely Freda, another of our early, and great, blogging friends.

Which brings me up-to-date in December. Mistress decided to inflict computer problems on me. We went back to my finca for a nice holiday, but then master had to come back to work, so we didn't stay very long. I helped myself to bread rolls and butter for Christmas, but you all know that.

So there we are. Another year in the life of Pippadog. Some fun, some cats, some nice food, and some sadness too. Master, Misery and I would like to say that we are thinking of the families of those pups who have gone to the bridge, mentioned above, they have all been loyal and supportive friends who have always visited my blog. We are thinking too of all the other families who have seen some pup go to the Rainbow Bridge as it has been a sad year for the DWB community.

And I would like to thank every pup of you for continuing to visit my blog in spite of Misery's erratic posting. Wishing you all the very best for the New Year.

Pippa

Merry Christmas

Well, everypup, I hope you are having/had/will have a good Christmas.

I had a fine Christmas Eve. Master came home from the supermarket with some provisions and mistress helpfully left them on the bread board.

Naturally when she went out for a few other things I jumped up and found some nice wholemeal rolls.

I took them down carefully and put them on the floor, and then took them out of the plastic bag and started to eat them.

But I realised something was missing, so I jumped back up again and found the butter dish. I carefully took that onto the floor too, without breaking it, and licked it out.

What a treat.

Mistress came back in after about half an hour and thoughtfully took away the plastic bag. So then I decided to lie down and enjoy my last bread roll in comfort. Yum. Yum. After all, it wasn't much use to them full of Pippa slobber, was it?

Santa helps those who help themselves, say I.

Oh and we went out for a walk this evening, but I didn't feel like posing.

And no, Mistress has still not sorted her computer or done any holiday cards.

New Year Resolution - Find A New Mistress.

Christmas Day morning. Snooooooooooze.


Best foot forward for my Christmas Day photoshoot.


Where is master?


Oh. Here he is. Have we finished now?

No excuses

Mistress has surpassed herself.

I am sure she has entered into a conspiracy with our computers deliberately to prevent my successful blogging.

So - what is the latest disaster to afflict me pups?

Apparently our computer and printer are not talking to each other? Does that affect my blogging? Yes. Because mistress needs to sort it out or there will be no PippaCards this year. Well there won't be any this year anyway, but there won't be any for New Year either. At this rate it will be Valentine's Day or Easter cards from Pippa.

First it is Write 50,000 Words For A Silly Novel Month (Oh she did manage it by the way) - next it is endless computer issues.



I really despair.

Thanks to everyone who has sent cards and email cards again.

Specific thanks to Lola Smiles, Simba, Jazz and Dixie, and Asta for suggesting that New Year cards are a good idea. That was good to hear.

Here is the list of cards I have received. Email ones to come for a later post. (Misery needs to make a list of them, especially as she has to do a reinstall of her OS X - myself I think she has one or more corrupted files, but hey! what do I know about it all).

In no particular order;

Jazz and Dixie - who sent a super message
Arabella
Comet Blu and Lacey
Charlie (golden) - who wished me toast and a cat for Christmas
Jackson - who has very distinguished cards - of course
Homer, Vanessa and Bill
Simba
Lenny and the Latshaws
Ben the Rotti
Blue
JB, Misty, PooPoo, and Bear (hehe maybe JB is my cat for Christmas)
Cookie and her crew plus Adelaide too
Collie, Beethoven and Joe
Charlie and Opy
Powder-Puff and Ivy - who sent an amazing card which involved decorating a tree - which of course misery has not yet done
Four Musketeers
Jaffe and Kaylie
Chloe - who lives near me in Spain
Verdi and Gaucho - also in Spain, in Madrid
Mona and the Mommy too
Faya - the first card I received
and last but definitely not least - Randi - who addressed my card to Dear Darling Pippa, and for good measure wrote what a handsome Pippadog I am on the envelope. How thoughtful to remind everyone of that.

I bet all the post delivery people in Gibraltar know who I am now. Hehe

It is lovely to get cards from pups I have met, but it is also really nice to get ones from pups I don't know, so when misery is sorted I need to get out and sniff around a bit I think.

That is the end of my moan and my thanks, so here are some pix from my hol at my finca.

Here I am in my Land Rover having a fine snooze with my leg comfortably positioned hanging off my Landy sofa. I don't know why mistress chose to take a photo of it.



So I changed round and let my back leg hang off, so then she took another photo.



In the end I got sick of her taking photos of my legs hanging down so I put my paws straight out and my head between them ignoring her.



Here is my new fridge that I am guarding so that mistress can't secretly sneak in there and take food out without me noticing.



Master and I working on our bikes on the terrace.



And at my favourite gate.

Just ......

.....to let you all know that I don't think I need to run a competition.

Mistress would win hands down.

Latest excuse?

We go back to my finca in Spain.

What happens? My router is not working, and mistress is incapable of getting one delivered in the time that we are there.

Does she go and buy one? No.

She rings up the Spanish telephone company who commit to delivering one in a week. And don't.

So I have a week without getting in touch with my pals. She didn't even take any decent pictures of me. Actually I don't know what she did do.

I lay at my gate of course and gave that horrid marmalade cat the evil-eyed Pippa stare.

Anyway. More later.

And to finish by saying thank you to all those wonderful pups who have so far sent me either postal cards or ecards.

Mistress has not started my cards yet. I can't imagine that will surprise any pup.

* Asks Santa for a new mistress *

Excuses, excuses

I am thinking of running a competition for the most inventive excuses for not writing some dog's blog.

Mistress has come up with two this month - or rather last month.

1) She had to back up all the data onto a memory stick and reinstall the operating system because (IMO) she had done something silly so the printer didn't work.

2) She joined in something silly called National Write A Novel Month, which meant she had to whack out 50,000 words in a month.

Well, mistress I have news for you. Here is a perfectly good dogblog. If you want to write 50,000 words, how about writing them on here, huh?

Anyway, in between computer issues and novels, we all went for a walk and I said hello to one of my friends. See how friendly I am to smaller dogs? Nice Pippa.






But the other day we met an English bulldog. And I could see his teeth, and they looked FEARSOME. So I barked at him to let him know I wasn't afraid, and he ran behind his mistress's legs.

Misery didn't have the camera so there are no pics of him.

She managed to find the camera when I got my paw stuck though. A dog can't even go to sleep and get his paw stuck without getting a photo taken. The indignity.



And here I am in my den under the table.





No wonder I try to hide.

Freda - DeltaBunny

My friend Freda has gone to the Rainbow Bridge.

I am so sad. I loved Freda so much, she was so beautiful, and so funny and imaginative, and looked after her peeps so well.

I will miss you very much. My heart is heavy today. Bye bye Freda.