Poor, Pitiful Pug

My grandmother loved dolls, and one of her favorites was Poor, Pitiful Pearl, a sad sack urchin based on a cartoon by William Steig, one of my all-time favorite children’s book authors. Yesterday Pablo crammed himself into the small space between the bookcase and the table stand and rested his chin on a pile of magazines. His woebegone expression reminded me immediately of Grandma’s Poor, Pitiful Pearl.

Pitiful Pearl the doll

Cartoon by William Steig

Pugs vs Hurricane Irene

Pablo survived Hurricane Irene without much inconvenience to his schedule, although he did have to wait a bit for his walks until the storm let up–and a few trees were downed, blocking his path when we did venture out. How did other pugs prepare for Mother Nature’s fury? Take a look at these photos assembled by BuzzFeed.

Going Places?

Like all felines, Miss Rita can’t resist planting herself on whatever reading material is available. K had spread out some maps for a motorcycle trip he was planning, and Rita took the opportunity to make herself comfortable. Or maybe it was her way of gently hinting “Take me with you!”

National Dog Day

August 26th is National Dog Day. Get out there and show your appreciation for these wonderful creatures who give so much and ask for so little in return. As proof of their loyalty, watch this video. Petty officer Jon Tumilson died in the chopper crash in Afghanistan earlier this month. At his funeral, his brown lab Hawkeye refused to leave his side, staying by the casket for the entire service.

Pablo Under Wraps

It’s hard being the younger sibling. Pablo’s big sister E was here for a party and she can never resist teasing him. Pablo was dozing peacefully on the sofa when E decided to pile all the pillows on top of him. Worn out from a weekend of begging, the indignity barely registered.

Otis the Skydiving Pug

Photo: Rex Features

With arthritis in his back legs, we no longer let Pablo jump off the bed, lifting him gently down instead. He struggles the entire time, not liking the short flight to the floor. I can’t imagine, then, that he’d be a fan of skydiving, where the drop is a bit steeper, to say the least. That doesn’t seem to bother Otis, a ten-year-old pug living in Los Angeles with his owner Will DaSilva. With 64 jumps under his belt (in a specially-made harness strapped to Will’s chest), Otis is quite the skydiving pro. To see Otis in action, click here.

Friday’s Quote

“To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace.”

~ Milan Kundera

Prepare for…Battlepug!

I’m not a big comics fan, but when one features an enormous slobbering pug then count me in. Inked by Mike Norton, Battlepug tells the story of a barbarian warrior and his loyal pug. The webcomic started in February of this year and posts once a week (on Mondays). The comics are archived if you want to get up-to-date on the storyline. FYI–The pug makes his first appearance on June 20th. See below. Pugophiles and their pugs now have a new superhero to root for–Battlepug!

Friday’s Quote

“My little old dog: A heart-beat at my feet.”

~ Edith Wharton

 

 

Rita and the Bird

Back in June, I posted about how Miss Rita got on the wrong side of some birds who were nesting nearby. Her very presence enraged one in particular and it swooped down repeatedly whenever Rita jumped onto the deck railing. Eventually Rita learned not to antagonize her feathered friends and for the most part stayed on the ground. Now with the fledglings having left the nest, Rita can once more safely return to her favorite spot. The above video from June captures the bird in its quest to uproot Rita from her perch.