Someone looks miiiiiiiiiiiighty guilty...

Bean! What did you do???

I have yet to discover the evidence of mischief, but when I do I think I know who to blame...

Then again, they do say that only the guilty sleep in jail... Hmm... Frank seems awfully sleepy...

If ONLY...

Ughmmmmph alllllllmmoooosssst......

Oh Bean. If only your tail was straight, I'm certain that you would have made contact by now! Perhaps if you weren't so very confused by also needing to scratch your ear?

Definition:

Today we will be defining the word Antithetic:

adj: of the nature of or involving antithesis; directly opposed or contrasted; opposite.

Please allow Frank and Bean and our houseguest Whisky to pictorially demonstrate this definition:

Thank you Frank, Bean, and Whisky!

Neighborhood Moment!

Gosh darn it...

...if those aren't the funniest looking dogs Bean's ever seen!

I love in city chicken coops, perhaps we need some new friends for Frank and Bean! You are also allowed to have 1 goat in the city! Frank and Bean Build a Farm, I think it has a catchy ring to it!

Rain Gear

Guess what...

It's raining again.

Oh, but Frank! At least you have your fancy new coat!! It has a fleece lining so that he stays both warm AND dry. In true little brother fashion, Bean has inherited his old one... 

he just loves it....

Actually, he hates it, but it is a VAST improvement from the previous one which I thought was such a good deal ($12 vs. $70 for Frank's red one - yes, 70! for a dog coat!!! even I balked! But it is very hard to find one with a hood, especially a hood that doesn't constrict the ears and rides above the head like both of the current ones do so that the hood isn't immediately shaken/pulled off). 

Let us just say, it is not a bargain if it is a piece of you know what; I do not recommend the poncho looking versions. 

If you are seeking a durable and light weight raincoat, I must say that the Ruffwear Sun Shower Dog Rain Jacket (modeled by Bean) IS quite good for an active pup that doesn't need added warmth... however, they seem not to be making them anymore and you have to seek them on ebay; GREAT news since it usually drops the price! (PS! I learned during my search that Zappos.com is now featuring pet wear/supplies!)

If you would like an extra layer of warmth, we have discovered the RC Pets Robson Rainwear 

(modeled by Frank). I was overjoyed as I have been searching literally for years for another coat with the scalloped hoody... It looks like they also offer a slicker version with no lining and fun colors, The Yaletown Slicker , though I would not endorse it as I have not tried it, and of course their poncho, which is affordable, but as I mentioned before, not great at staying on nor is it durable, however it is tempting with fun colors and it packs up very small in a pinch.

Frank and Bean hope you all stay dry out there!

Courting Danger!

As many a pug owner can tell you, caring for such an adorable bug eyed creature comes part and parcel  with an exhaustive day to day process of making sure that one's pug does not get to close to anything which may poke  them in their ever preset eyeballs (though Frank IS quite handsome with only one leftover eye...). We look for extended bush limbs, long nails on play buddies, thorns on blackberry bushes... but it was with horror that I glanced down while drinking my coffee this morning to discover Bean's eyeball courting danger whilst lying "safely" in bed!

BEAN!!! Get away from that newspaper!!! Don't you know what a paper cut on the eyeball could do to you!?! 

(To be fair, his grandmother was accepting opinions on who the new Pope might be and I think perhaps Bean was investigating the listed candidates in the hope of offering his opinion).

He looked relatively shocked at my strong reaction... 

(oh, and add the fingers of toddlers to the danger list, those shiny orbs are so very hard for them to resist!)

Literacy

I am a reader. I love a good book and the pugs love a good book because it means that I will be curled up with them for a while. However, it is possible that I MIGHT have a weakness for US Weekly. I was sad to see when I returned from the shower this morning that Bean may have inherited my addiction....

BEAN! I do hope that you are not comparing my mistakes as a pug mom to those of Mom Kardashian!

Um...

I resent this...

I would never! go out with holes in my tights AND I will have everyone know that all of the pug merchandise that I own has been gifted to me! Mostly. And the vintage postcards that I collect are not of pugs!

As for the rest, well... 

Moby Whisk

I don't mean to make Frank self conscious, but it must be said that in the past month a rather prominent white whisker has appeared amongst his very sleek black whiskers... we have named it Moby Whisk. 

In the interest of scientific research I googled the top 10 reasons that we go grey, and here is what I found:

- Bad Diet

-Vitiligo, we don't know or care so much about whatever that is

- Lack of B12 and/or folic acid

- Tooth Whitening and something about Hydrogen Peroxide

- Smoking, Genes, Age, etc... when suddenly the lyrics to a rather embarrassing country song serendipitously came on: (I have inserted some additional and I think quite enhancing lyrics parenthetically):

They say time takes it's toll on a body 

Makes a young girl's (or pug's) brown (or black) hair (or whiskers) turn gray 

Well, honey, I don't care I ain't in love with your hair

And if it all fell out Well I'd love you anyway. (and I would buy you lot's of fancy sweaters because you would get oh so cold) (especially in the rain!)

That's right! Frank's advice? Wear that white whisker proudly! Frank for one is just filled with delight  to have made it long enough to have a white whisker, fixer upper of a wee sick runt that he was! Oh Frank! We are ALL so pleased!

Oh Bean, you are getting smootch from such a wisened handsome pug! (this was also the only shot of Moby that I could get, please note it there right under Bean's snout, the little rascals were NOT cooperating!)

Now, if you happen to be sitting with your morning coffee and thinking to yourself:

  "Gee, I wonder who would make the absolute worst CIA agent ever?", please allow me to assist you in wondering no more!If it ever so happened that Frank were given some classified information, say perhaps about the source of all power in the universe, and was then captured by the enemy, and the enemy said something along the lines of "Ok Mr. One Eye, tell us what we want to know so that we can decimate the world and ruin the lives of millions of people and creatures as well as that of Gentle Pig and everything you love, or ELSE... we will take you for a walk... IN THE RAIN!" 

Guess what Frank would do...

(That is a video of me trying vainly to pull Frank up from his spot and out the door. Bean is being very helpful, as you can see....)

Yep, goodbye Gentle Pig and all of the world as we know it...

Spring!!

But Frank and Bean! Wherever have you been!?

Well Frank fans, it has been a long an busy winter and Frank and Bean have been feeling a bit under the weather. However, after a winter of emotional hibernation and adjustment to their new home, spring has sprung and we are back! And Frank does NOT enjoy any of this official spring starts in the middle of March based on the sun nonsense. As far as the pugs are concerned, spring starts with March, just as winter starts with December and summer starts in June. (Except perhaps in this city where summer seems to start July 5th. Every year. It's absolutely baffling that on that exact day the clouds clear. Like clockwork. Perhaps the fireworks clear them away?)

So, in celebration of spring, there will be 3 posts a week, EVERY WEEK at least through April! Oh Frank! What adventures we must find! 

Yes Bean, you can help too...

To start our springtime adventure, we will be heading up to our local bookshop which is reopening TODAY! Frank is rejoicing in his heart as not ONLY has there been a hiatus in the flow of books into our house (causing less snuggle and reading time), but also because our favorite treat stop has been missing from the top of the hill.  

Welcome Queen Anne Book Co.!

(We do hope they still welcome pugs! Gulp!)