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.
Misery has taken some photos. In fact Misery has taken a lot of photos. Of ships and other dogs.
But they are not coming on my blog. Oh no. So if you want to see her really boring photos of ships and doggies you should click here for ships and here for dogs.
However, she has taken a photo of a cruise ship. So at least we can revive The Movie Project.
No mistress, that is not the cruise ship. That is the Ark Royal. I can tell a naval ship from a cruise ship by now.
Here is the cruise ship. We could have had the QE2 leaving port but did Misery manage to snap that? Of course not.
Anyway once she had taken the photos, I banished her again.
With a wave of the magic PippaPaw, I sent her off to my finca for a couple of days to feed my chickens and collect my fan mail (OK there wasn't any but I can live in hopes, and I need to plan this eventuality for when my movie gets premiered).
Then she came back and selfishly wrote up her blogs before mine.
Fanfare. Drum-roll.
The Movie Project is back.
Pippadogblog readers from some time ago will remember that I put up a portfolio of black and white photos and considered I might be an appropriate candidate for a star of the silent screen - here.
Then, with a little help from some Pippapals, we decided that what was needed was a film aboard a cruise ship, where I am a dashing hero and get to meet lots of my girlfriends.
So here is the reminder of the plot (s) and cast, although if you want to read more about it, click here.
Cast
Sofa King and Toast Hero - Pippa
Heroines 1 & 2 - Sophie and Ethel
Love rival - BenTheRotti
Goofy golden retriever sidekick - Charlie
After-dinner crooner Boxer - Chef
Official Ship's C.A.T. - JB
(the only one we don't chase - although we could perhaps have one tiny little chase scene?)
Side plots
1) the entertainment crew led by Chef
2) detour to Melbourne involving mystery and intrigue - Bella
3) trip to UK for Simba's walk-on part
Production
Producer/director - Pippa (for now)
Pippa's agent and PR director - Randi
Ethel's agent - Wally
Tester of the all-you-can-eat buffet - Wally
Sophie's agent - Sophie, I mean Sophie's agent
Screenplay - Me, Pippa, oh and well, Misery
Now there were lots and lots of comments from pups and cats, so this is why I need to update it.
1) Kathryn and Ari have told us we need to visit Maine for the International Film Festival and lots of toast.
2) Lola Smiles has asked me to go and visit her in Montreal.
3) Randi has decided she wants a tiny role in the film too, and may even turn out to be my one true love.
4) Sophie has agreed that Randi may have a small cameo but is not happy with the one true love idea.
Sophie wants a pawsonal assistant or an agent. She wonders if Lola will be her agent.
I don't mind Lola being Sophie's agent, but as we are going to visit her, she will also be getting her own role in the film (I hope). Lola is far too beautiful not to at least have a small role.
Sophie wants her sock monkey. She also thinks sock monkey should have a role. And she wants a doctor. And for the cats to be declawed...and .....and ....
Right Sophie, that is enough now. You are taking this temperamental prima donna bit too far. I am not having sock monkeys in my film. If you get bored chase a few cats. And I don't care whether the cats are declawed or not. Nor do I care whether there is a doctor.
But I will agree to some love scenes by the pool and I can watch you swimming.
Charlie, who was going to be the goofy sidekick, now seems to want to chaperone the ladies. Hmm, I'm beginning to wonder how many love rivals I will really have in this film, because Chef also wants to know if he gets some love interest.
Anyway, Chef, I am more than happy for you to be a scoundrel, so that is one thing we can agree on. And your mom is more than welcome to be a production assistant.
The Forget Sit and Stay Gang came up with some excellent suggestions for titles, so I think a PippaPoll could be called for to choose one. Here is what they wrote:
Pippa in Pics! We can see it now. Here's some brainstorming on titles.
Pippa plays the high seas
The sun sets for Pippa
Pirates for Pippa
Pippa Sets Sail
Pippa Rides the Tides
I like those, I think they are very good.
Apparently Witty wanted to know what happened to Peaceful Pippa and why there is lots of cat chasing.
Well, Witty, although I am normally peaceful, the truth is that I am just conserving my energy for those wonderful moments when I get the opportunity to chase cats. Because I can't resist it.
Speaking of cats, Peanut has offered us Shelby to chase, so that will be yet another cat in the film.
And Ethel wants to know if she can chase cats. Of course you can Ethel. As one of my two heroines (and not half as demanding as that diva Sophie) you can chase cats to your heart's content.
Freda has asked if we need a 1,2 1,2 vole catcher. I don't know if there will be any voles on board, but I think it would be best to err on the safe side, so you would be very welcome as resident vole catcher.
Jake and Just Harry from Florida have volunteered to add some authenticity and foreign intrigue for me. And even better, their mom can get us on Port Everglades. Misery would like that as she wants an excuse to go to the Everglades National Park, so perhaps a few days holing up at the port would be in order for her to clear off on her mini-expedition.
Asta is next to the Hudson River, so we will definitely have to go and visit her in New York.
Marvin wants to be Best Boy on the credits. That's ok by me, I don't know if you have to do anything to be best boy though. Oh, I don't want you vomiting dead rabbits all over the place, or you definitely won't be best boy. Mistress has heard those stories about you, so just remember this is a cruise ship and not the woods and forests of the UK.
I have realised since I started my project that two of my lovely girlfriends have gone to the bridge. So my film will be dedicated to Kelsey Ann and Tasha. I hope that is ok with their people.
Maybe Meadow would like a role in the film to represent the Kapp Pack, and I hope Eva is still willing to be in my film, even though she is a princess now. I'm not sure princesses do property stuff and set decoration like you originally suggested Eva, so perhaps you need to go for the cameo role. Maybe you can get Brice to do a bit of work on the sets. Although maybe not, there may not be a set left if we ask Brice to look after it.
And I think there will be so much going on with this American trip, that the trip to the Far East and Australia will definitely have to wait for the sequel, when of course we will also go via Japan to see Jazz and Dixie.
We will have to go via the UK though for this first film - or how else could we pick up Ben the Rotti? - so that will give Simba the chance for his walk-on part too.
Well, that's it for now on the film. Thanks to everyone for hanging on in there and reminding me that I needed to get Misery to update it.
We will put on our thinking caps and start fleshing out the screenplay next. Competitions are essential on board I think. Snose competitions and toast competitions. I need to work on that.
All comments, suggestions, and volunteers for parts in the film are very welcome.
Nearly forgot. Here are some pictures of me.
Shy Pippa.
Laughing. Or yawning? Can't remember.
Give me the toast.
Well mistress was not banished for long of course.
But when she came back she managed to pick up some nasty bug (no not fleas or ticks, those are my nasty bugs), and has been feeling sorry for herself yet again and lying in bed.
Or rather on the floor, as she doesn't have a bed and I am certainly not sharing my sofa with her.
Enough is enough however, so I ordered a post. Now!
When she came back I did the present trail routine for her. I know she likes this because she always says "Good dog Pippa."
She follows the rubbish that I have carefully distributed and then she sees me waiting patiently for her on my sofa.
And later we took her out for a walk. I was in the lead as usual. Note, although I may be on the lead, I am in the lead. 
Next up, I want to ask if you have all seen Bolo's nose competition running throughout November.
I am not a particularly competitive dog but I like my snose, I think it is rather pretty.
And because I am not a kissy or licky dog, (especially of mistress), I use my snose to do the odd few affectionate gestures. Snoses in fact.
Well, what I really mean by that is that I wander up to Misery or master and wait for them to rub my snose, and stroke it and things like that.
If I am feeling very kind, I will stick my snose in their faces. If it is master I will wait for him to say "OK Pippa, I am getting up now, what a good dog you are."
When I do it to Misery I just turn around and run away. Don't want her to think I am fond of her or anything.
My snose went pink for a while. You can see it up there on the big picture. Oh and Jazz and Dixie asked what the hanging things are. They are to keep out the flies and mosquitoes at my finca in Spain. However I thought it was more important that I kept an eye on mistress in the kitchen, so I stuck my head through them anyway.
I don't think my snose is pink at the moment. Misery has taken a picture. She will need to take some more for the competition of course, because if we put this one in you would all be able to guess it was me wouldn't you?
Look how carefully I have aligned my profile against the tile. How artistic of me.
I promised an update on my film project, but of course Misery has not taken a photo of a cruise ship to go with it. Misery also needs to do a bit of work and summarise where we had got to, especially as I have made some new friends who don't know what it is about.
Well obviously it is about me. On a cruise ship. And my darling girlfriends. JB wants to know if she is still Official Ship's Cat. Yes, of course you are. I haven't changed anything since the last time so the role is still there for you.
So next post we need to write about our cast list, and our potential plots, and sub-plots, and sub-sub-plots. Anything more than that will be too complicated for me as I will need a nap.
Perhaps we might run Snose competitions on my cruise ship? There is an idea. And we could have 'Who can eat the most toast/crumpets/pizza?' competitions couldn't we? Yes, I think competitions need to be an integral part of the movie.
Anyway more next time on the movie. (NB Mistress, More next time on the movie - go do some work).
Oh and speaking of toast, I have discovered a new way to eat it. Mistress is spreading it with something called yeast extract. This smells delicious so therefore it tastes delicious. It is brown and slightly sticky and I like it very much.
Apparently Australians have Vegemite, British have Marmite (and Bovril), and we haven't a clue what Americans have. We don't know if you eat yeast extract on toast. Must go and get my share.
Snosing for yeast extract
Lying in wait
On my sofa ready to pounce on that tasty toast
We banished mistress to my finca for a few days.
Just master and I on our own, in peace and tranquility, wandering around the marina and socialising, as I always do.
Here I am on the alert.
And having a lie down after all my efforts.
Next up I really think it is time I kick-started mistress into action on my movie project.
I think I will start by sending her off to get a nice picture of a cruise ship. Yes, that will be good. Although knowing Misery it may take some time.
Do not hold your breath.
A dog likes to sleep.
A dog likes to change where a dog likes to sleep.
A dog likes to get his head in a comfortable position, especially tucked underneath something.
A dog likes to lie in doorways.
What a dog does not like is someone, aka Misery Mistress, pointing a camera in his face every time he tries to find a new peaceful position.
Just because you have finally bought some new batteries and a new charger for the camera does not mean you should keep sticking it in my face.
So go away mistress and let sleeping Pippa lie.
The other day, master and I went out for our early morning walk as usual. Master put my lead on and we skipped down the stairs and out of the block.
But as we walked out of the door, I noticed my lead was not on my collar properly. So off I shot, as fast as I could. Up the street I ran on cat safari.
"Pippa," called master quietly, "Pippa." But I ignored him.
Sadly there weren't any cats under the cars which would have been even more fun, as we could have played a fine game of chase.
So at the top of the street I shot into the catyard, I mean courtyard where the cats like to hang out. Round and round I prowled but could I find a single cat? No. Nor could I find a way out. And there was master standing in the archway waiting for me, so I slunk miserably back to be leaded up.
Meanwhile, Misery Mistress, had heard master calling for me so she had got up quickly (which she never does) and pulled on some clothes and run out to help master look for me. But she didn't find either of us, so she had a nice walk by herself round the block at 6am.
When she got back to the flat, we still hadn't returned, so she came back out to look for us again. Master and I were sauntering back down Main Street. How we laughed when we realised she had got up, and had been wandering around looking for us.
Anyway top tip to pups: always check to see if they have put the lead on properly so you don't miss the opportunity to escape.
Mistress wants to add a top tip for humans about checking the lead is on correctly but I don't think we will bother with that one.
It was breakfast time on our return, so after scoffing my biscuits I decided to supervise master making the toast.
And moved in for a closer supervision.
He dropped some butter on the floor. "Leave, Pippa." Er, no master. I don't think so at all. So I helpfully licked it up. After all, misery never gets round to washing the floors so I was doing everyone a favour.
I kept moving round master's chair, as he didn't seem to notice me. 
Then I sat down looking so good and innocent and irresistible.
Master refused to give me any toast though. So I jumped on my sofa and sulked at everyone for the rest of the morning. 
I have been a quiet Pippadog.
I had a poorly tum for part of last week. Master thinks I picked something up sneakily when we went for a walk in the dark but I'm not telling.
Anyways, I have been pizzaless and toastless as a result so I thought I would eat my feet instead to see if there were any yummies stuck to them.
Misery mistress was very surprised to see my teethies as normally they are never displayed like this, she only sees them when I am smiling.
One day Misery, if you get on the wrong side of me, you may be toast, so to speak, and I will eat you with my pointed teethies.
And here I am licking my feet.
And doing doga.
Anyway after she had taken my pictures she went out for a walk. But she had been so busy taking photos of my sharp tussies that it was dark when she was coming back.
So here is the one and only photo she took on her walk. Looking down onto Gibraltar and out into the Bahia de Algeciras.
And here am I going to sleep. Much prettier than her silly photos.
Some time ago (ie nearly a year ago) one of my beautiful girlfriends - Guinness - from the Stoutino Inn and Foster Kennel, interviewed me.
I thought it would be helpful to reproduce this particular question (and answer) because I have made lots of new dogpals since then.
Lots of you will not have had chance to read back and some of you probably still think I am a girl because of my silly name. I am not of course, as you can see if you look rather too closely at some of my more immodest photos.
Here is Guinness's question and my answer:
1. Darling Handsome Pippa, we have heard how you master & mistress found you and took you in, but how did you get your very interesting name?
Guinness, this one is just so embarrassing. Master and mistress could not decided what to call me. Because I am Spanish they thought about a Spanish name. But José or Pepe or Antonio just didn't really suit. Besides, the Spaniards that do give their dogs a name (apart from Perro = Dog) usually choose English names, like Jack and Lassie.
So then they thought along different lines. After all they had no idea what I was called before. Neither do I. Their other dogs at the time were called Paddy and Prince. So mistress thought about something beginning with P. Then she remembered the little polar bear she had seen in London when she was young.
He was tiny and white and furry and very cute. He was called Pippaluk (or Pipaluk) and his name meant "the little one" in Inuit. So mistress thought it was a good idea to call me that.
I wasn't little, although I suppose I must have been at some time, and I wasn't totally white (although I was more white than any other dog they have had), and she thought I was cute and furry and it was a unique name. She has a strange sense of humour. But then I ended up with it being shortened to Pippa and now everyone thinks I am a girl dog. Well, apart from my girlfriends hopefully.
One day she will find her souvenir book and scan in some pix of him. She has done a little search, apparently he died aged 22 in Poland. He had been moved from London when they closed the Mappin Terraces for bears. Mistress does not think moving bears around who should not be in captivity in the first place sounds very good so she does not want me to write any more about this. Or she will get on her soap box. This is not advisable.
................
So there you go. And to bring us rapidly up to date, some of my new pals, the Desert Pups, at Life Inside The Fence have given me the following awards: Gold Paw, Kick Ass Blogger, I am an Awesome Blogger Friend, Rusty's Best Bud Award, and Este Blog a acredita na proximidade.
Thank you very much pups. As usual there are rules which we have not followed, but the Desert Pups said we should throw a big party and invite them. Now that sounds like a good idea and I will bear that one in mind.
.................
Finally just a quick heads-up to remind people that Ben the Rotti has started his week of fund-raising for Nowzad. Head on over to his blog and join in the fun.
It seems Misery is having a problem charging the batteries for her camera.
Actually it is probably my camera as most of the pictures taken are of me. Well, they should be of me, at any rate.
So I may have to delve into the past for piccies of me, as there are loads on the computer that she has never posted.
Anyway here are some that we have taken since the last post we made, before her batteries started dying. I'm not sure her batteries were ever charged but that is probably for another post.
Next to my chair with head on floor and paw carefully under the rail.
By my favourite chair with my left paw practising typing and piano in my sleep.
And here I am - hiding behind my sofa - with my other paw in the same position
ETA: We've written about it on the News but big condolences to Fleas Gang on Simon's departure for the bridge and to Deetz on Gizmo's departure. Our sympathy to you all at a very sad time.
Well, I suppose another post in less than a week is not too bad. In spite of Misery Mistress's latest obsession - soup.
She is making soup every day, which is time spent when she could be writing up MY blog. But on the other hand, I get soup with my biscuits, so it is not all bad.
So far I have had vichyssoise, orange and tomato, and today's will be garbanzo, fresh broad beans and fresh peas with kale.
Anyone who is remotely interested in her soup tales will have to look for them on her numerous blogs as I can't bothered to do the clicky linky things. Soup belongs in my dish and that is all I am interested in.
I have had my blog invaded with photos of flowers, boats, birds and even cats. I am definitely putting a firm PippaPaw down to pictures of soup, unless I am eating it of course.
Now, I would also like to point out that there were some rather clever comments on my last post.
George suggested I might be practising my piano notes with my left paw. I thought that was decidedly witty and very arty. Thank you George.
Col. sam asta-fari joe h. pinkerton peabody, esq said that I was posing for my next movie. Which reminds me, Misery needs to update the movie stuff now that we are swinging into autumn after our summer vacation. Although she is always on vacation.
Randi pointed out that I was well on my way to becoming a doga guru with my clever pose. Thank you Randi - you were right too - I hadn't even realised that. I have done it again a few more times though to practise.
Huskee and Hershey asked if I wanted to share my pizza. No.
Oooooooonie said that my paw position is from all my work typing. Hmm, I would like to think it was, but I'm not so sure about that.
So here are today's pics. They look rather silly to me. I don't know why I have got my head on the chair rail, or even moreso, why I let Misery take a picture of me like that.
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