Bart is on the left, and Purrl is on the right.

This year, we were afraid we were going to lose both of them, because they got very sick at exactly the same time. Within a few days of each other, Purrl developed inflammatory bowel disease, and Bart was diagnosed with kidney disease. Bartie is a stately old gentleman, but Purrlie is much younger, so it was really scary that they both got sick at exactly the same time. Their mom, Yoshi and Tsuki's Aunt Laura, was so sad and worried about them, and had to take them to about a billion vet appointments that first week.

While they both like the piano, Bart is the more musically gifted. We think it may be because he used to hang around while Aunt Laura was having piano lessons.

No one could figure out what was wrong with Purrl, but she couldn't keep food down. It took lots of tests to figure out what was happening. There was serious talk about euthanasia, but Aunt Laura wouldn't give up on her. Finally, Purrlie received the right diagnosis, got started on medication, and began her recovery. Thankfully, she's back to being a sweet, happy, comfortable little kitty.

Bartie's diagnosis came as a real surprise, too. He was just at the vet for his yearly physical, and wasn't showing any signs of being sick, but his blood work revealed significant kidney disease. Since then, Aunt Laura has had to learn how to give him subcutaneous fluids, sort of like kitty dialysis, to keep him feeling good. He's lost a lot of weight, and has to be on medication and a special diet, but Aunt Laura is working hard to keep him strong and keep him with us for as long as she can.

Bart is a really special cat. I know, I know, everyone thinks their cat is special, but Bartie really is a 1-in-a-million kitty. Bart likes to walk on a leash, ride in the car, go out to events and meet new people, heck, he'll even wear costumes if you want him to. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him, because he's affectionate and friendly, and is never timid with new people or new situations. He loves to talk (too much sometimes), and understands a lot of words. If Aunt Laura tells him to "give a kiss," he will mush his wet little nose into your face. He also insists on being blown with the hairdryer each morning (I swear, he's from another planet).

If you'd like to send an e-mail to Bart and Purrl (or visit them on the web by clicking here), and maybe send Bartie some good wishes as he struggles with his lazy good-for-nothing kidneys, or let Aunt Laura know what a great job she's doing with them, I know it would mean a lot to all of them. You can click here to send them an e-mail.

(click the images to see larger versions of the photos)

Cinnamon is 5 years old, spayed, and up-to-date on all shots. Cinnamon's owners are heartbroken to be looking for a new home for her, but their child is allergic. Cinnamon would do best as an only dog.

Please email Linda if you, or someone you know, is interested in learning more about Cinnamon.

Also, please feel free to forward this information to anyone who you think might be interested in providing an excellent home for this shiba girl.

***At the Sunami Station***

Father (Cream Shiba) is coming out of the small countryside station.

***On the steps of alleys***

Father is running up and down on stone steps of very narrow alleys.

Father's voiceover: I'm sure I will come across Tada-Tomo that I have not seen yet.

[Tada-Tomo is the WhiteBanks' calling plan that permits members to call each other for free. Tada means "free" and Tomo is the abbreviation of Tomodachi, which means "a friend."]

***Jodo-ji Temple***

Father runs through a flock of pigeons.

***In the middle of a rice paddy***

Father is sitting at the bus stop with a cute school girl.

Father is walking in the rain.

***At the small harbor***

Father is getting on a boat.

***At the very traditional Japanese inn (Ryokan)***

Father is looking down at the scenery from the window as the maid is serving tea.

A woman who wears Yukata and Haori coat is walking in a courtyard.

***At the beach***

A woman, who turns out to be young and pretty, is making a call from the beach.

Father gets a call and probably he thinks it is from that woman.

Mother: Where are you roaming around?

Father: I'm sorry.

***At the Rotenburo***

Father is walking by the Rotenburo.

[Rotenburo is the outside of a hot spring or hot tub. This particular one seems to have a ceiling but no wall. As Japanese usually bathe in the nude, Rotenburo are surrounded by privacy fences.]

Father is coming out of the female section of the hot spring.

Father: I made a mistake.

Male voiceover: Free calling among family members for 24 hours. SoftBank.

[Contextual Information: Sunami Station is in Mihara City of Hiroshima prefecture, and Jodo-ji Temple is in Onomichi City, which is also within Hiroshima prefecture. Other locations are unknown. However, most likely this film was shot around these two cities as they are located side by side. Onomichi is well known as the city with very pretty scenery. The old parents from Tokyo Story, which is regarded as one of the best movies ever made, resided in this city.]

Here are the lyrics to the accompanying song, which can also be found in this earlier entry:

Iihi Tabidachi (Taking Off On A Fine Day)

I look up to the sky of the North where snow will melt soon
As I call out for the dreams from the days that have passed away
Faces of people who I will never see again come to my mind
So today I will be on the road by myself

Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a red sunset
With the song that I heard on my mother's back as my only company

On the tip of the cape, a boy is fishing
Will he take the pass with tall green grasses when he goes home
In order to make a memory
I will write "Goodbye" on the beach sand with a wooden stick

Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a cloud shaped like a sheep
With the song that my father taught me as my only company

Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for my happiness
With the song that I sang in my childhood as my only company

It has taken me hours of research to figure all of this out, but the song that accompanies the commercial above can be purchased from CD Japan. It is called Taking Off On A Fine Day (いい日旅立ち) [thanks to Blue for the correct translation of the title], and is performed by Shinji Tanimura. In 1978, the song was made famous by a female artist named Momoe Yamaguchi, and was used by Japanese National Railways to promote travel. You can read more about it on Wikipedia. You can also watch a video of Momoe Yamaguchi performing the song here.

Thanks to Blue, we now have the translated lyrics to the song that accompanies the commercial above! Thanks, Blue!

Iihi Tabidachi (Taking Off On A Fine Day)

I look up to the sky of the North where snow will melt soon
As I call out for the dreams from the days that have passed away
Faces of people who I will never see again come to my mind
So today I will be on the road by myself

Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a red sunset
With the song that I heard on my mother's back as my only company

On the tip of the cape, a boy is fishing
Will he take the pass with tall green grasses when he goes home
In order to make a memory
I will write "Goodbye" on the beach sand with a wooden stick

Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for a cloud shaped like a sheep
With the song that my father taught me as my only company

Somewhere in Japan, someone special is waiting for me
Taking off on a fine day to look for my happiness
With the song that I sang in my childhood as my only company

Here is the link to Part 2.

And, the link to Part 1.

[Edit at 9:20am on 3/5/08: Well guys, the results are in, and we got beaten by a CAT!!! I'm thinking maybe there were butterfly ballots involved! Nevertheless, everything I wrote below is still totally true. You guys are the best friends an aspiring dictator could ever have. I guess I can open my eyes now.]

Well, friends, voting has ended for the photo contest, and winners will be posted soon. As you can see, I'm meditating while I await the results.

Life on the campaign trail was hard, but, I just wanted you to know that no matter what happens, you are the best friends a dog could ever ask for.

Firstly, I'd like thank my campaign manager, Aunt Laura. Aunt Laura really took up my cause, and worked super hard to deliver my message to the world. She was the most enthusiastic campaign manager that a future world leader could hope for.

I'd also like to thank my great friends, Bonnie & Sushi, and all of their wonderful pals from the Toronto Shiba Inu Meetup Group. Bonnie & Sushi are also trying to find a home for Chigo (remember him?), which means that they are true blue friends (i.e., they aren't just nice to you when they think you might become the next leader of the free world).

Aunt Stephanie, and mom's pals Deb and Knitty D, also provided me with much appreciated support during this very trying campaign. You should definitely check out Deb's web site, because she does amazingly realistic drawings of dogs! And, you should check out Knitty D's blog because she's just totally cool and she loves beagles.

And, of course, thank you to everyone who cast votes and showed support for me. You will not be forgotten when I gain control of the world treat supply.

I should probably also thank mom and popi, but I don't want them getting any funny ideas about who has the upper paw in this relationship. I think I'll just save my thanks for a time when I've really done something to tick them off (shouldn't be long!). In life, as in campaigns, it's all about strategy.

Come what may, you will all be the first to know when I've received the results.

With much love and appreciation,

Yoshi

Okay, blog friends, voting for this period ends on Tuesday, March 4th. That means there are only 3 more days is only 1 MORE DAY to vote for the Yosh-man.

If his photo wins in this round, he'll advance to the finals and have a chance to appear on the box for Bissell's Pet Hair Eraser Vacuum Cleaner. How cool would that be? He'd be totally representin'.

So, if you've got a second (it really only takes a second, honest), and you'd like to support Yoshi in his quest for World Domination, click the red link here, or the one under his picture, and you'll be able to cast your vote for Uncle Yoshi.

Thanks a lot!

Okay, dog comrades, I need your help.

If you've been a long-time reader, you know that I've been quietly flying under the human radar and implementing my plans for world domination. Well, the next phase of my plan has begun. I've decided that we need to tackle both print and on-line medias and, with your help, my subliminal messages give your dog lots of delicious treats could reach millions of homes.

The best part of my plan, is that the message will come from a very unlikely place; a VACUUM CLEANER BOX! This could be bigger than the Trojan Horse, dog comrades! Subliminal messages from a dog, hiding on a vacuum cleaner box!? The humans won't suspect a thing. Genius, I know!

But, the plan will fail without your help, comrades. I need you to click the red link below, to cast your vote for delicious treats and world domination me! And, if you really want to cast a decisive blow to humanity's control over the world treat supply, ask your friends to vote, too!

Onward to victory, comrades! Click here to vote!

With humble thanks,

Chairman Yoshi

We're in the process of upgrading to a new version of MoveableType, so things are going to look weird around her for a while. But, everything should still be readable, just in crazy places all over the page.

Unfortunately, we've had to disable comments for the time being, because they don't seem to be working right.

We hope to have things in order in the not too distant future.

Do you have a good sense of humor? Like to play? Always up for a challenge? Calm in the face of adversity?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you may have just found your perfect match!

Chigo, the handsome gent in the picture, has energy and shiba-tude to spare. This little smarty pants is originally from the U.S., but is currently residing in Ontario. Ideally, he'll find his new home in/near Ontario, so that Shiba Rescue of the Greater Toronto Area can provide his new minions owners with any support they may need.

Click here for Chigo's PetFinder page.

I've taken a special interest in Chigo, because he reminds me of wild-man Yoshi. It is not possible to overstate what an energetic and mischievous little character Yoshi was as a young man, but with lots of patience, love, good humor, and positive training, he has turned into the most loving and mellow dog (even if he is still a smarty pants). So, I have a soft spot in my heart for wild and crazy shibas, because even though you sometimes can't see the light at the end of the tunnel with them, there can be a sweet, wonderful dog waiting on the other side.

If you can, please spread the word about Chigo, maybe even consider posting a link to his PetFinder page on your blog.

Thanks!

By way of explanation, Yoshi and Tsuki could not be more different where food is concerned. Tsuki likes to sleep-in, and you have to call her a bunch of times before she's willing to give up her beauty sleep and come down for breakfast. Yoshi, on the other hand, would throw you under a bus for one bite of a stale biscuit.

Tsuki is a baby in these pictures, in case you're confused. My husband has always loved these photos of her, which is I guess what inspired him to make them into such a cute little comic.

Click to vote for the Princess!

ランキングに参加中です。 どうもありがとうございます!

This painting of Yoshi comes from a funny scenario that my husband dreamt up for Yoshi. By some bureaucratic error, Yoshi is drafted into the army. And, even though he's obviously a dog, everyone just treats him like a person, and refers to him in conversation as "that short funny-lookin' kid." Yoshi is, of course, still Yoshi, so he never listens to his commanding officer. This gets him put on KP duty, which, in typical Yoshi fashion, he exploits for all it's worth.

For a long time, I've pictured Tsuki as a girlie Japanese pop star, and this painting is pretty much the image of her that I've carried around in my head. As evidence of her rock star status, Tsuki doesn't like to step in puddles, and possesses the world's most discriminating canine palette (dead mice and cat poop seem to be the exceptions to this, but even divas are entitled to their guilty pleasures). She can also be quite demanding of her entourage (that's us), and will insist that we continue to provide petting and tummy rubs, long after our arms have grown weary. Her bodyguard (that's Yoshi) also complains about her bossiness. But, nevertheless, her outgoing and magnetic personality have made her quite a star (in our neighborhood, at least).

Having now worked with Shannon on two projects, I can recommend her without reservation. Not only is she reliable, but she is such a pleasure to work with. I have commissioned work from several other artists, but have never felt that they could quite capture the image that I had created in my mind. Shannon not only created images that are amazingly similar to what I had envisioned, but included additional elements that I would never have considered, making the scenes even better. Both paintings completely exceeded our expectations.

If you've ever thought it would be fun to have an illustration done of your pet (or a human, even), definitely consider contacting Shannon. But, we plan on keeping her very busy, so you better hurry! We're already thinking up our next two commissions!

Click to vote for us!

ランキングに参加中です。 どうもありがとうございます!

I used cookie cutters and ham to make Yoshi's 'Happy Birthday' message.

Here's the finished bento. It contains cubed steak, hot dog cat, onigiri, colorful dog cookies, and half a hard boiled egg (which neither dog found appetizing -- they must take after their popi).

Here's Tsuki's more girlie bento. Her name is made out of cheese.

The hard boiled eggs were probably my favorite part, and were surprisingly easy to make. Too bad the dogs didn't like them as much as I did.

It's like he's saying, "Itadakimasu (いただきます)."

The birthday boy enjoying his steak.

Little sister has always had an unorthodox way of eating at the table.

Caught red pawed attempting to steal the birthday boy's ham!

Not to worry though, there was still plenty left for Yoshi.

At some point, Tsuki decided it was time for dessert (that's not real chocolate, don't worry). She helped herself, of course.

Then, she headed upstairs to eat her dessert on our bed.

Yoshi tried to be diplomatic about the onigiri. Ultimately, he decided that he was not a fan. Tsuki came to the same conclusion.

"Gochisosama deshita (ごちそうさまでした)."

Happy 5th Birthday, Yoshi! 誕生日おめでとうヨッシ!

Click to vote for the birthday boy!

ランキングに参加中です。 どうもありがとうございます!

Fun Togetherness

Everything is better when you have someone you love to share it with.

Click to vote for us!

ランキングに参加中です。