Wednesday, July 27, 2016

This is Really Really Terrible


This was our air quality on Monday. It was bad but it wasn't TERRIBLE. Mommy said we seldom she this much pollution but there is a BIG fire to the south and some pretty bad structure fires up the PENINSULA. Because we are in a valley all the smoke travels to US.

 
Well, look at the air quality today. It is A LOT WORSE! It is so bad you can barely see the hills and we were moving TOWARD them. Again the really terrible fire burning south of us in Big Sur is contributing to the bad air. But it is more than just that fire causing our valley to look more like BEIJING than SAN JOSE. . .  an inversion layer.


Yes today was a HOT HOT HOT day with temperatures over 90 degrees. And making it seem even HOTTER was the humidity. It was way over 68% today and that made the air feel oppressive. We generally so not have such HOT, HUMID and STAGNANT air.


I am hoping for a change in at least the inversion layer. I can handle hot weather if it is dry and maybe a bit breezy. The air movement always makes it seem better. I hope and pray that the wildfires are under control soon, too. Granted, MY AIR would be more breathable if there was less smoke. But I am also dismayed by the loss of property and life the fires are causing. Some very wonderful regional parks are being burned. This is the area where you can go wildflower hunting in the Spring. Well you can go a lot of places but this area has some of the most unique species.




Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Hanging Twenty With The Lucy Pet Foundation


When I left you yesterday, I had mentioned DRINKING water at the Lucy Pet semi truck in the Coliseum parking lot. This is newsworthy because even when I am really really really thirsty I do not cotton to sharing some other puggy's SPIT in a water bowl. Apparently this one was fresh and spitfree because I walked right up to it and started to gulp. Mommy stood by - dumbfounded.

While I was drowning my overheated self with water, I noticed these SURFBOARDS. Yeah, I've been to the beach. . . I know what they are all about. And I wondered what they were laying around for. Then Mommy talked to some DUDES and before I knew it (like THIRTY minutes later) I was walking up those stairs to THE TANK.

But first, I want to share a thing or two about Lucy Pet Foundation that I learned while waiting. . .


Joey Herrick, who gave me all kinds of love during our wait, founded Lucy Pet. He used to work for Natural Balance Pet Foods (as co-founder and President) and while there the company donated food and money to local rescues. Mr. Joey has a long history with helping pets. Even though he sold Natural Balance Pet Foods, he still stays very active in the animal rescue community. Lucy Pet, named for his rescue Chihuahua Lucy, strives to reduce the unwanted pet population through spaying and neutering. Large unwanted pet populations lead to overpopulation in the shelters and results in thousands of pets being euthanized because of the overcrowding. The Lucy Pet Foundation accomplishes this goal with mobile spay and neuter vans that provide services throughout the Los Angeles, California area. The dream is to have these units in every major city in the country. If you want more information about this organization, click HERE.

In addition to fundraising activities, Lucy Pet has a some pet products that are making their way into pet stores around the nation. This division is called Lucy Pet Products and they are products with a CAUSE - All NET profits from Lucy Pet Products goes to the Lucy Pet Foundation to help fund spaying and neutering. It is worth it to shop these products for this reason alone!!!! Locally, I know they are in An-Jan Feed Store and Petco.

Right now they have two SMELLS of dog shampoo and two SMELLS of conditioner. These products are called Surfin' Jack and Berry Berry. I have not tried them YET but I understand the spray conditioner is super surfin' good.

The other product line is Cats Incredible (get it?) kitty litter. It is a clay based litter with minimal dust (which is sooooooo good) and high absorb-ability. And it reduces the SMELL of . . . you know . . . because it has an ammonia blocker. It is healthier and more efficient. We are definitely gonna try this for Sunshine's little box.









I snagged this tidbit from the website but honestly, I couldn't say it any better

Wherever possible we strive to reuse, recycle and reduce our impact on the environment.
  • Our Grooming Products for Dogs are made in a 100% solar powered facility in California.
  • Our Cats Incredible™ Litter for Cats is made in the USA and follows environmentally friendly procedures.
  • All of our product packaging is recyclable and non-pollutant, so please recycle when you can.



 BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THEM

Back to ME. . . As I said, I was standing around with Mommy for what seemed like an eternity. I met a pitty mix named Remy and a great dane almost as tall as Mommy (I was too intimidated to ask his name). Plus I got to talk to Mr. Joey, like I said, and all of the team members kept coming over to say I was CUTE and SPECIAL and DO I KNOW HOW TO SWIM (?????) and stuff like that.

Mommy kept assuring the team that yes, I liked water. . . yes, I love the beach . . . yes, I know how to swim. . .yes, I know how to sit and stay (but I'm a pug so it is anyone's guess if I will). . . They seemed very hesitant to include me in the fun - but Mommy persisted so they relented and signed me up.

The line to get into the park was moving and I was a little worried I would MISS MY SWAG. The team from Lucy Pet was taking WAY too long with this labradoodle who DID NOT want to be anywhere near that tank. Harrumph! I said very very loudly in hopes of hurrying the process along (I sprayed Mommy's glasses as a result). That worked!! Next thing I know that labradoodle was dripping down the steps and it was MY TURN!

We walked up to the tank and the nice ladies there put a life jacket on me. The professional photographer who was taking pictures left ( Was I unimportant? Did she run out of film on that labradoodle? We'll never really know) so it was up to Mommy to document my attempt at surfing.

First they made sure I was comfortable on the board. NO BIG DEAL DUDES AND DUDETTES. Then we tried a wave. . . COWABUNGA!!!!!!



I am pretty sure the Lucy Pet lady caused that wipeout. I've run the video in slow motion a number of times and yes. . . she pushed too hard. . . I am sure. . .

Instead of the ONE WAVE the team members initially said I would get, I got to ride THREE. Because I WIPED OUT on the first one, Mommy decided not to video any other attempts. Too bad cuz the next time I totally CAUGHT THE WAVE and rode it til morning!!


Just call me GIDGET! 

It was a lot of fun and COOLED me off in the process. The Lucy Pet people let me ride a couple of times and then they had to move on. No one wanted to MISS THE GAME to surf. Well, maybe I would cuz now I am totally hooked.

Thank you Lucy Pet for making this CALI GURL'S surfin' dream come true!

Monday, July 25, 2016

Bart to the Coliseum to Bark in the Park to FUN!


Friday was the annual Bark in the Park at the Oakland Coliseum. Mommy and I missed it last year and were determined to go this year. So we kept watch on the calendar and when it was clear we had the time, Mommy got the tickets. This year - for the first time - Molly, Aunt B and Cousin Lil One joined us. My Mommy #1 stayed home to do her fan girl stuff. Teens!

It had been hot all week and Mommy was afraid it would AGAIN be hot on the day of the event - but the marine layer came back and cooled Oakland down to very pug-friendly temperatures. We were all happy about that.

Mommy made Molly and me t-shirts for the occasion. A lot of HUMANS dress their canines in fancy fancy costumes. Not my Mommy. She bought a couple of human baby tshirts for $4 and painted on them with fabric paint. Mine said Noodles and A's. . . Molly's said Molly and A's. Okay, not clever at all but Mommy did a good job on them.

We piled into Pugsley, Mommy's car, and took a HOT CAR ride to BART in Fremont. For those unaware of what BART is, it is a light rail system that connects cities on the east bay, San Francisco and some cities on the peninsula.  It travels right to the Coliseum and is really the best way to get to the park. We were in a stroller because pets are not allowed on BART unless in a carrier. The stroller is basically a carrier with room enough for two of us.

Molly yipped and barked A LOT as she is prone to do when out and about. We were a little worried she would bark so much we'd get kicked out of the game. But she calmed down once we got there.

 One of the first things we saw when we came down the ramp at the
Coliseum was the Lucy Pet table and big rig. It is unusual for vendors to have such a set up. So we looked around a little and then got into the HUGE line of pets and hu'rents waiting to get into the seating area. While we were in line these young DUDES came by and asked if any DOG was interested in surfing. I'm an OCEAN kind of pug so I said sure. So Mommy, Cousin Lil One and I wandered BACK over the the big rig while Aunt B and Molly saved our spot in line. What we saw when we got there was a LOT of SURF BOARDS and some fresh water. I am not prone to drinking out of community water but I was so thirsty AND nopuggy else had imbibed from the fountain yet. Win for Noodles.
 I had more adventures at the Lucy Pet area but I am going to talk about those tomorrow and give EVERYPUGGY a little insight into Lucy Pet. So stay tuned.

Back at the line, we joined Aunt B and Molly for the HIKE UP A ZILLION stairs and into the event. It was a big walk for me since I am a small dog and a pug to boot. But I did it and was only wheezing a little when I got to the top. At the top we got GOODIE BAGS containing a placemat shaped like a bone (hmmmm, I forgot to take a photo) and a Bark in the Park bandana. Ahhhhh - but that was just the start. Once up on the plaza, there were tables set up by the various vendors like Petsmart, VCA animal hospitals, and Diabetes dogs. They were all giving stuff away and imparting some very important information about pet health and how pets can help humans with their health.

In line, we caught up with our FURiend Fezzik and his family. It had been a long long time since I chatted with him and it was good to catch up. His sisters, Zoey and Phoebe did not attend this time because they are getting on in years and having a lot of trouble with heat and stairs. I told him to give them my best as I miss them. They are two funny gals.


One booth had TATTOOing for FREE!!! Molly got one but it was kind of hard to get a picture of it. Basically she got the team logo A's tattooed on her butt in neon green and yellow.

What's important is SHE LIKED it and said it made her feel special.
This is the best photo Mommy got of her tshirt, too. You can't tell but it says Molly. . . A's similarly to mine.



From the tattoo table we then spun the wheel at a poop booth and the VCA booth. We all won prizes although nothing was as cool as the OAKLAND A's food bowl we got at ARF.


 As we exited the ARF table, we spotted an ice cream machine. Guess what? They (I assume the Coliseum) was giving away FREE ICE CREAM to the pooches ONLY! You heard it here first . . . FREE ICE CREAM WITH TOPPINGS!

The toppings were bacon, chicken, and sweet potato. Molly did not like it and wouldn't eat it. I loved loved loved it and wanted to go back for more.


 After we left the plaza, we hurried down the corridor, out the gate, down the stairs, in another gate, up some stairs, down another corridor, down some MORE stairs and out onto the PLAYING FIELD for the Parade of PETS. Actually we were NOT on the playing field because . . . well dogs and grass, YOU KNOW.  But we did walk the warning track.

Molly chose that moment to POOP on the warning track - but just a little. I guess when you gotta go. . . Her Mommy picked it up because we never go anywhere without Poop bags.

Even if we hadn't, the Oakland A's organizers of the event included a LOT of pooper scoopers and pee cleaners as well as water stations, garbage containers, and greeters to make all of us pooches feel right at home and very welcome to be there.

We settled into our seats in the bleachers (but they were actual assigned seats) and got down to the business of watching the Oakland Athletics vs the Tampa Bay Rays.




 It was a good game - a pitchers' duel and there was no score even into the NINTH INNING! The game went to EXTRA innings. We left, though, to beat the crowds at BART. When the game lets out the station gets very very crowded and it can take as much as an hour extra just to get onto a train. The good news is when we got home Aunt T told us the A's won in the 12th inning!

There was no crowd once we got to the BART station. We walked onto the first train into the station and before you know it, we were home. It was such a fun time at the baseball game and I am very grateful to the Oakland A's organization, Petsmart, VCA, and all of the vendors who made this event so much fun for HUMANS and PUPS alike. I cannot wait until next year.



Friday, July 22, 2016

Bark in the Park Number. . . THREE

I like nothing better than BARKING IN THE PARK at the Oakland A's coliseum. It is a fun way to spend time with my humans. Today I got a bath and a new tshirt to wear.



Not only do we get to see a professional ball game, but we also get to walk around the field before the game. Plus we get goodie bags and get our pictures taken.

This will be Molly's first time going. I hope she behaves.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Hammer Me a Hammerhead


Auntie B and my Mommy went shopping and movie-ing the other day. It had been quite a while since they had a day out and their beach trip got FOGGED out. So they made the best of it and saw :Finding Dory" and then shopped. Mommy said they spent a lot more time sitting and chatting than shopping BUT when they did shop it was productive and fun.

As you know, I recently had a birthday and Auntie B just had been too busy to get me a present. When she and Mommy were shopping, she saw this and thought IMMEDIATELY of me. It is a SHARK! And if you know me, you know I am a shark fan. Granted - I am a SJ SHARKS fan of the hockey variety - but any Shark will do, you know.

This one is a hammerhead shark. They are so BIZARRE - as you can see they have a rectangular forehead and their eyes are actually at each end of the rectangle. It looks like they wouldn't be able to see or swim but they do so quite well.

I wasted no time in playing with the shark and biting the SQUEAKER. It is a durable toy, though, and as of today I have not made any progress in my quest to liberate the squeaker.

Thank you Auntie B for my most favorite-ist toy. I love you.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Wednesday Rolled In And. . .


We decided to forego our usual WORDLESS WEDNESDAY and instead review some of the best TREATS we have even reviewed for Chewy.com. These MIGHT even surpass Halo Liv-a-Littles as  our new favorites


We are talking about WELLNESS CORE PROTEIN BARS and you can find them at CHEWY.COM. When Ms Sydney over at Chewy.com sent out the July newsletter, she said it would be full of amazing goodness. And she was sure right. We had the HARDEST time picking out something to review. And normally we only have a couple we want to try so it is pretty easy. This time it was so HARD!!! We chose these particular treats mostly because they company, Wellness, has been good to us for a while. We have tried their food and some of their other treats from time to time and the products are always tasty and good for us. But they can be pricey so we look for sales ( and I will let you in on a little secret - they are on sale RIGHT NOW at https://www.chewy.com/wellness-core-grain-free-protein/dp/103221).

What makes the CORE PROTEIN BARS so special is the emphasis on protein. It is what animals thrive on and what controls their hunger. There is a lot going on in these little bars.


The Wellness Core Protein Bars are grain-free, gluten-free,contain superfoods like kale, have
no meat by-products, wheat, corn, soy or artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, are an amazing
16 calories per treat which means I can enjoy them without worrying about my waistline, AND they are100% natural & made in the USA! Buy Local! It does a body and the economy GOOD.

Core Protein Bars are good for a PUG and DOG's overall health with extra attention paid to balance. Balance is especially important in providing exceptional variety and quality of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.

We chose the Turkey, Duck and Kale flavor treats and this is what is in them:Turkey, Peas, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Duck, Cane Molasses, Salt, Broccoli, Carrots, Kale, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Dried Cultured Skim Milk, Rosemary Extract

We have no complaints about any of these ingredients. In fact. . .  GIMME MORE!!!!



We also like the thought that went into the size and shape of these treats. They are the perfect size for medium dogs (or PUGS with medium size appetites) and take note of the line down the middle. Each treat is SCORED down the middle making it easy to break apart for smaller appetites and chewing abilities. We always get HALF of one bar and that satisfies our chewing ( the bars are hard and have a toothsomeness to them) and our cravings.

We are so pleased with our Wellness Core Protein Bars that we asked Mommy to go to Chewy.com and order us some more. Especially right now when they are on S-A-L-E (shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)!!!

These treats have earned EIGHT PAWS up - they are only lacking in not being CAT friendly. Sunshine turned her nose up to them. Can't please everypuggy.

** We were not paid to write all of these kind words. We thought them up all on our own and present them to you, our readers, as our own true opinions. We received a bag of treats free of charge so that we may try them and write this here honest review.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

IT WAS AN active, airy, animate, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, mettlesome, peppy, perky, pert, pizzazzy (or pizazzy), racy, snappy, spanking, lively, spirited, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy TIME AT THE PARK




Because the weather cooled off so wonderfully, we went for a walk in the PARK near our house. It is a wonderful suburban park with lots of native trees and grasses AND a wildlife sanctuary. I love all of the smells, too, especially where this picture was taken - right near the CREEK.

My Cousin E was doing her SEVEN miles of running there (her favorite place to run was closed) so we planned to meet her at the end of her run. I think the whole city had the SAME IDEA, though. It was so crowded at the park. I know it doesn't look it in this picture but then again, it was taken looking OUT OF the park.

The whole walk is about a mile and is just the right amount of exercise for me. Molly was a little too yappy and kept getting in trouble for yelling at other doggies. But she wasn't being aggressive, just mouthy, so we kept walking.

About THREE QUARTERS around the park Mommy said "Noodles, Noodles! Look over there!" I don't usually do that when she yells "look" but this one time I DID. And guess what???? I saw ANOTHER PUG!

I know you may not think this is so shocking but believe me . . . it is in my neighborhood. I can could on one paw the number of times I have seen a pug while on a walk. Well, until THIS time, I had never encountered another PUG on my neighborhood walks - not even at the PARK! So I was pretty excited.



This is SPARKY and he is an EIGHT almost NINE year old pug gentleman. You cannot tell in this photo but he was VERY tall. Almost twice my height. Granted, I am a short petite girl. We said HI to each other and chatted briefly. I was actually more excited to meet his HUMAN FAMILY. They were a mommy and a daddy and a daughter about Cousin E's age!!!! They were so nice and petted me and said I was very pretty. All of the humans laughed a lot because Sparky and me DID NOT cooperate for the photo taking. See how far apart we are? And when they asked us to sit. . .  well, the proof is in the photo.

For the record, Sparky was NOTHING like his name. He was very mellow and low key. He even walked with a slow gait - not at all like my prancing (especially when I am happy). You can tell by his face that he is just a very easy going DUDE.

I hope I meet Sparky again when I walk in the PARK.


About all of those words in the title - they are
all synonyms for SPARKY

Monday, July 18, 2016

Monday Is For Cooling Off

I actually live 50 miles south of here. But who doesn't love a
photo of the famous Golden Gate Bridge?


The weather in our southern part of the BAY changed for the better when our famous SUMMER FOG returned for a visit. It is what makes weather in the SF Bay area so agreeable - just when you think you are a-cookin' the fog comes in and cools you down. I love it.



Cooler days mean more activities like this! I cannot handle taking long walks the 90s much and even the 80s are a bit much for me. So when the thermometer drops to the 70s I am a-rarin' to go. I love walks and nature and STUFF.

The bast part is - the FOG is going to hang around all week and HOPEFULLY this means the baseball game will be more comfortable for me. The last two were pretty HOT and I spent way too much time in the sun. So did Mommy #2 and she had the red face to PROVE it.

THIS activity is also more doable when the temperatures drop

DO you have special weather DAYS that you loves loves loves?

Friday, July 15, 2016

Yesterday's Fail



I failed to get a blog post in on deadline yesterday. I am so sorry. It was so unexpected that I have no excuses and no way to change the fact. It all started with Mommy's dentist appoint. Actually it was BOTH of my Mommys. All good news - nothing at all traumatic. They love their dentist and have no issues with regular visits and such.

Then they came home and had to catch up on the MORNING'S business (as you know, Mommy #2 works from home nowadays). Well THAT took forever and next thing she knew, it was time to start dinner. Seriously! Where did the day go? It happens every time she has to leave the house for any reason - and she is still getting up early like when she went into the office (just a little LESS early).

It was just one of those things.
But I am back on track now.

It's Friday and for some reason this week just FLEW by. I have very little to show for it. Oh, I did get a full week of snacking on a trial bag of treats from CHEWY and I am formulating my review as we speak. As you know, we love Chewy.com in this house. Not only do we get a lot of free stuff from them in exchange for our opinions, but we also use them for supplies. WE have never been disappointed by the customer service nor variety of goods from Chewy.com. They are the best and we have tried a few.

The weekend will be pretty mellow as not a lot is planned. It is going to cool down so I know I will get an extra walk or two. It has been much too hot to walk. I take short ones to the backyard and then I quickly return. Just long enough to get a quick apple snack (heehee, don't tell the humans).

I am looking forward to the PAWLYMPICS that are coming up soon. Mark your calendars for Aug 5 - 21!!! I am not sure if I will compete but I am thinking about it. I like to keep active, you know.

That's about it. I have nothing much to say as I am kinda sad about the Nice tragedy. I am at a loss for words.

Happy Weekending you all!

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Recovery Day from the BIG Blogville Dance


Folks,
This is all I can manage to do today. I am so worn out from TRIPPING THE LIGHT FANTASTIC!!!
It was fabulous and fun and
TOTALLY EXHAUSTING!!!!!
I cannot thank Christmas for not only putting the dance together BUT for also inviting ME to be his DATE. It was a dream come true.


Monday, July 11, 2016

Is That My TOES a-Twinkling?

Hello Blogville. This is Noodles the Pug LIVE from THE event of the summer . . .



Hop on over to Christmas' blog http://www.pawprovince.com/2016/07/blogville-summer-dance-2016.html and check out the fun. There are some singles so you might just meet the GUY or GAL of your dreams there.

There are lights and music that are out of this world. In fact, I hear a band warming up right now so I will head over there soon to see who it is.

And if I am not mistaken, there are the MAYORS right over there by the SNACK table. How tasteful, LOL. Their dates look particularly stunning in their designer gowns and sparkly jewels.

Even Princess Leah is joining us from ACROSS THE POND (that is what sophisticates call England). She looks very elegant in her party dress and her date of the evening is simply dapper.

Speaking of dapper, did you get a load of my date?


Am I one lucky pug or what?

Well, that's all I have to say for the time being. My toes are a-tappin' as the band has begun to play one of our old favorite songs . . . .

Friday, July 8, 2016

I'm Just Going To Lie Here Until . . .


The World is a Happy Place Again


It's time we wake up and realize HATE 
can only be overcome by LOVE
and love only comes from UNDERSTANDING
and understanding comes from ACCEPTANCE



Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Breakfast of Champignons. . . no wait. . . Champings . . . Come On Noodles, THINK . . . CHAMPIONS . . . Finally!

Did SOMEPUGGY say TREATS?

In June CHEWY.COM's newsletter contained such incredible goodness that I could hardly pick. Molly and I finally resorted to putting our TOP four choices in a hat and choosing from them. The result? We chose to test Ideal Balance Breakfast Medleys. Why, you might rightfully ask?
Well, dear reader, because Ideal Balance Breakfast Medleys is a healthy additive to an already healthy MORNING MEAL. I like to think of it as a T-R-E-A-T for being ME.

A package for me???

I begged and begged for these because they look like mini-waffles. How COOL is that? And they have "country chicken"  and egg in them so they MUST be tasty. On the health side, here is what is in these WAFFLES - Chicken, Peas, Potatoes, Chicken Meal, Tapioca, Cane Molasses, Glycerin, Chicken Fat, Egg Product, Natural Flavors, Dried Skim Milk, Cinnamon, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness





Pretty much a win in anyone's book. When we got them, Molly had just been to the dentist and had 2 BIG TEETH removed. She was ordered by the dogter to not eat ANYTHING other than a little canned food for the rest of the week. THEN she could only eat a bit MORE canned food. She could absolutely NOT have anything crunchy or dense (the waffles are dense like a soft cookie) for a couple of weeks and then sparingly. So I was the only PUG sampling and testing these delicious sounding WAFFLES for the whole time.


I loves loves loves these sumptuous treats. And now that Molly can eat most things again, she is also likewise enjoying them. We don't get them everyday, although frankly I would LOVE it if we did. Let me tell you and I will reiterate it over and over, when I get a hold of that most amazing WAFFLE, I cannot stop myself from drooling and then savoring every last bite. We give these treats . . . TIMES TWO (and that is two more paws than we have):



NOTE: We were not paid to provide this review nor were we told what to say for this review. We received a proper amount of treats (one bag) to test over the course of a few weeks and decide if we liked them (yeah, sure). These opinions are ours and ours alone and we provide them free of charge - cuz we are like that. 

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

I Partied Like It Was 2016!

I actually started celebrating when I got this card
from Princess Leah - all the way from the UK


My Pumpkin Banana Cake with Nemo decoration
Biscuit, Me, Molly - Biscuit is a new FURiend. He is 13 years
old. He looks like a PUPPY, huh?

Everyone is singing Happy Birthday to ME

I am singing the LAST VERSE - Happy Birthday to
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

AND FOR YOUR VIEWING AND LISTENING PLEASURE
Noodles the Pug and her rendition of
HAPPY BIRTHDAY