Greybeard and Redbeard

As Frank approaches his fifth birthday, he has started to take on more than a grey hair or two...

Oh Frank! What a distinguished older gentleman you have become!
Though Frank does look quite debonair, I would be lying if I said that the appearance of anything aging my handsome pug does less than seize me with panic.

And on the other end of the age spectrum... Bean ate something bad. Bad and plastic. The result being that we climbed into the bathtub and I shot a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide down his throat in an attempt to bring said plastic thing back up. Or so I thought. Turns out, most of it went under his neck causing a rather trashy red dye job...

Bean. Little Bean. Please stop with the indiscriminate ingestion....

But What Do You MEAN???

I'm not invited?

Oh, such forlornness...

Frank was rather displeased when he saw the suitcase come out without the accompaniment of this travel house. Bean is of course too young to know what this means. Frank's dad and I are off for a week in lake country in Minnesota! To be quite fair, the pugs were in fact invited by the grandparents Herriott, but the resort was not as inviting. Very sad. Who doesn't feel that their vacation would be enhanced by the appearance of one very handsome and one very mischievous pug? Surely I cannot imagine anyone feeling otherwise!

So, this was the scene for about an hour:

Stoic ignoring, with a guilty look thrown in every 5 minutes or so.
Fear not Frank, you and Bean will be well cared for in our absence by the delightful pug sitter, and we will be home before you know it!

Road Trip

Having decided that if we waited to go on an adventure until the sun came out we would never go, the pugs and I loaded up the car in order to go and investigate a new park that we had heard about.

Here we see the pugs happily settled, or so I had hoped, in their rather new, rather expensive car seat (to which their harnesses attach so as to hold them in should an accident occur). Apologies for the glare...

It turns out that they were not settled at all. Here are my views from the drive:

View #1

Bean trying to get out of the car seat into my lap.

View #2

Frank trying to get out of the car seat and into my lap.

Now, if you rotate View #1 and View #2 about 13 times, plus add in some growling, nipping, and whining, you will be able to mentally experience the 30 minute ride to the trail head...

We walked about 5 minutes in, Frank avoiding the puddles, Bean going right through them, until 2 things happened. First, we ran into a notice that an "unidentified male" had been exposing himself along the trail. Second, and sadly, my camera died so that I could not take a picture of the notice. Needless to say, fearsome as my companions were, we turned about.

I would venture to say that Frank was rather disappointed by the whole excursion and spent the rest of the afternoon here...

alternately glaring at me and ignoring me, I believe as a result of forcing upon him the indignity of having to share a car seat for 30 minutes for a paltry 5 minute walk.

Bean was displeased for other reasons...

Oh Bean! Frank will tell you that this is what happens when you don't avoid the puddles! And yes, he did stand like that for the whole bath - perhaps he should audition for Cirque du Soliel! Very fancy indeed! Oh Frank, what a talented and traumatized brother you have!

Things that make Frank SAD:

The fact that it is still raining out:

(Oh, but look at how safe and reflective! Very important indeed for a black pug!)

Things that I make Frank happy:

not having to wear his old puppy raincoat which, obviously, does not quite fit The Bean anymore either:

Oh but never the less, what a safe and dry pair you will be!

Cookie Sharks

It must be said that as of late I have been a rather absent pug mother, at least more absent than I would prefer to be, therefore it was with great delight a couple of days ago when the pugs realized that I had the day off. It was with even MORE delight that they discovered that amongst the roster of activities for the day was cookie baking.
Oh Frank! Who doesn't enjoy a ginger snap?

Seeing as how my baking skills are minimal at best, I tend to be a less than savvy kitchen user. This frequently results in quite a of lot dropped dough resulting from poorly managed counter space.

Here we see the scene from human level...

and, prowling about below....

Yup. A scene that would strike fear in the heart of even the bravest bit of snapper dough.



Oh Frank! Look at all of that hope shining in your eye! (Bean could not be convinced to glance upwards for even a second. It is my belief, as he is not the sharpest tool in the shed, that he believes that the treats actually spring UP from the floor.)

Very diligent indeed. And, of course, in the end it is quite important to thank your cleaning crew with a just reward...

Spring Has Sprung!

Guess what that means!
It is time for Frank to rise and shine! And doesn't he look eager!

Oh Frank! What do you mean that you would rather stay in bed? It is time to come out of hibernation and to share your springtime adventures!

Hmm... as you can see, we have a little work to in order to convince Frank that the sun MAY actually stay out for longer than 5 minutes.

Fear not however! Hibernation has ended!

Welcome back Frank!!!

HIbernation!

Fear not faithful Frank fans! Frank has not fallen by the wayside, nor has his blog! He has simply gone into hibernation for the very cold, dark, and extraordinarily overbooked by his mother, month of February.
Like the red breasted robin, and the sun before 8 am, he will eagerly reemerge in March!

The Life Aquatic

I think it is safe to say that some of you may be wondering to yourselves, "Hmm. I wonder what Frank would look like were he to suddenly become a fish."

The time has come to boggle your brains no longer!

Violá!

Frank in fish form! Oh, and what a handsome aquatic specimen he is!

Someone was rather alarmed at the thought of living in the water...

Oh Frank! Don't worry! I am not going to make you swim about in an aquarium for everyone to admire, though you would make a very dashing center piece!

The Answer Key!

I zoomed and lightened... just in case anyone missed seeing the handsome fellow!

Where's Frank?

Perhaps this can be the new prototype for Where's Waldo...