Happy Birthday Lotus!

Happy Birthday to VB's puppy Lotus! She's one year old today - that's right September 11th!

She was all for it, but Cooper, her older half brother, wanted nothing to do with the hat! Although, he did vacuum up his slice of cake.

BTW, we bought them raincoats today. VB used to have a matching lined one for VB Doggie (that's right, VB and Vagabondblogger Doggie had matching coats.) So we decided, after that bitch of a storm Hanna tore through here, and it was getting close to autumn, they needed rain coats. Check it out!

(Below): Lotus posing, while in the background, Cooper fights with the hat.


(Below): Hat free, Cooper has the appearance of a dog who is "having nothing to do with this!"



(Below): The new raincoats.

Funkengroovin Wednesday - April Fools and Roadtrips

Number One Son is on his way to Oregon continuing his work (and yes, he does get paid.) He has been in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Ohio, and now the final leg of his work will be in Oregon. He took our Ford Ranger, and not the Westy. The Ford has special mud and snow tires, plus a scruffy teen driving a Westy just draws all the wrong (police / highway patrol) attention ("pot smokin' hippies".) So, we thought it best he take the truck.

Unfortunately for Number One Son the joke's on him. March went out like a lion, and he was stuck along the I-80 Wyoming highway for two days. The first evening he was lucky enough to find a hotel, after the Highway Patrol closed off the highway to all traffic. He barely got back on the road before, according to news reports,
"CHEYENNE - An intense spring storm continues to bring snow, blowing snow and limited visibility to portions of Wyoming, causing some road closures due to motor vehicle crashes according to a release issued at 2:39 p.m. from the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched to a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 near the Saratoga Interchange just east of Walcott about 10:23 a.m. Monday. Troopers asked the Wyoming Department of Transportation to close I-80 between Laramie and Sinclair in both directions.

One tractor trailer combination loaded with electronics caught fire and the heat damaged the roadway surface on the westbound lanes of the interstate. WYDOT personnel are assessing the damage to the roadway at this time.

Another tractor trailer flatbed lost its load of pipe. The spilled load must be removed from the highway prior to opening.

Troopers on scene reported that at least 25 vehicles have been involved in multiple or separate crashes on both the west- and eastbound sides of the interstate between mile post No. 236 and No. 237.

There have been no reports of injuries from the crashes on I-80. One man, however, suffered a heart attack.

It is unknown how long the interstate will remain closed in this area."

"Troopers on scene reported near white-out conditions due to snow and blowing snow."

"Troopers on scene of both multi-vehicle events are currently evacuating motorists as needed and are assisting victims.

Motorists are asked to avoid the areas if at all possible, as long delays are expected."


As a result, since all hotels were full, he had to spend the night in a town rec center Monday night, which he described as a Thorton Park (Shaker Heights, Ohio) with squash courts (sounds nice). This, after being stuck in the same spot, on the highway, for over nine hours! Many others who were out of luck also spent the night there. Fortunately, he had his sleeping bag, and pad with him (guess those Boy Scout sessions worked,) and a Blackberry, which he used to chat with us. Number One son said, "I'm never getting out of here. I'm fucking stuck here!" All of this causing VB to loose quite a bit of sleep worrying (shades of Brokeback Mountain).

As of Tuesday, wearing a plaid shirt to blend in, Number One Son was able to hightail it out of Wyoming before the next storm set in. He was, coincidentally, stuck around The Continental Divide, in a small town where the first two Grey Wolves were killed, since being taken off the endangered species list by Bush (VB's sure, Wyoming's home boy, Dick "can't shoot straight" Cheney, will be after one of these hides.)

Sometime after May 20th, Number One Son's work will be done, and then he's off to Montreal, Canada to meet up with some friends. Inshallah. VB is still worried as he has not yet reached his destination in Oregon, yet. Although, he has been keeping in touch regularly, by phone to have us check on highway and weather conditions in addition to any news of importance (the Democratic Primary.)


Since yesterday was April Fool's Day, and Number One Son is driving out west, it seemed appropriate to post a few foolish photos from past road trips, of what some merry little pranksters do with a Westy. (VB actually loaded these photos for another post, but they seemed appropriate for April Fools.)


(Below): Photo was taken in a campground, somewhere along Route 5 at Evangola State Park, New York, the first summer (1987) we had the van. We used the photo for Awesome Daughter's High School graduation congratulations advertisement, with the heading, "All packed up and ready to go!"





(Below 3 Photos): Taken at a family reunion picnic outside of Cincinnati, Ohio the summer of 1999. We traveled back from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to get our van out of storage in Cleveland, so we could move it to a storage spot near relatives in Cincinnati (where it sat until 2002).














(Below): Cooper, Awesome Daughter's Springer, does not take well to back seat drivers.




NEWS:
(As usual more information and photos available at the links.)

I hope we don’t ruin Top Gear, by Jay Leno
"So someone calls me from the network and is clearly not a car person. He says: “You like cars, right?” I say yes. “Like, all kinds of cars?” Well, yes. I like all kinds of cars. Why? “Well, the network has bought the TV show . . . um . . . High Gear? Top Gear? Top Gear! Top Gear, yes. We know you like to build cars.”




April Fool’s pranksters in corporate America
"Legend has it that April Fool’s day started back in the 14th century when people moved from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Back in that era, New Year’s day was observed on April 1st and those who celebrated on the wrong date we considered April Fool’s.

Google’s current CEO Eric Schmidt was a VP of product development at Sun in 1986 when the company pranksters reassembled a VW Beetle inside his office."


April 1: When Sun Microsystems has fun"Two years earlier, Eric Schmidt, Sun's product development chief and now chief executive of Google, discovered that a Volkswagen Beetle had replaced all the furniture in his work space.

"The VW bug was purchased for $600 from an employee and registered in my name, so I owned it," Schmidt said in an e-mail message. "For a day or two, I conducted meetings in the car."

(Check out the photo at the link):
A Short List of Famous San Francisco Pranks
"On Feb 5, 2001, Bay Area commuters were confronted with a massive traffic snarl on the Golden Gate Bridge. Engineering students from the University of British Columbia, who have a history of pulling pranks,suspended an intact VW Beetle beneath the bridge using a cable. The prank not only wrecked havoc on the morning commute, it stopped ships from traveling under the bridge. Authorities cut the car down, which sunk into the bay. According to the Chronicle article about the incident, the Golden Gate Bridge wasn’t even the students’ preferred target. They tried to dangle the Beetle off the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver, but tripped a silent alarm."

VW's 'Max' Coming To A TV Screen Near You
"Volkswagen America's latest television ad campaign featuring spokesman Max, the German accented talking VW Beetle, is set to debut this Saturday evening during the NCAA Final Four college basketball games."

Ad Track: Introducing Max the Love Bug
"The campaign's star is "Max," a pristinely restored 1964 black Bug."

Auto restorers max out effort to bring Max in front of cameras by deadline
"After Volkswagen marketers settled on the 1964 model as best representing a classic Beetle, admakers had three weeks, Dec. 24 to Jan. 13, to have the first Max ready for his close-up, says Brian Schultz, a producer with VW agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky.Teams began a mad search for a restoration expert and restorable Beetles. Within days they found John Bickel, a VW restoration expert who runs State of Mind Customs in Oxford, Mich. Meanwhile, those scrounging for cars and parts found enough for eight to 10 finished cars.

The hardest part to find in mint condition: steering wheels."


Worse than B movies: Oregon group pokes fun with bad film fest
"ASHLAND, Ore. (AP) - There are Hollywood flicks, independent films put on at Sundance and Cannes and B movies. Then there is the stuff the Bad Film Society puts on.

At the top of the bill is "The Giant Spider Invasion," a 1975 effort about aliens from another dimension invading Wisconsin.

Special effects include a fur-covered VW Bug driven in reverse so that the red tail lights serve as the monster's glowing eyes."


(Toronto):r>The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (***)
"Cao Hamburger’s The Year My Parents Went on Vacation deals with the primary subject (next, perhaps, to adultery) of foreign films that reach English audiences: coming of age. No one with the slightest interest in seeing the film should be surprised, then, by its positioning of a defining moment in a child’s life against a backdrop of political upheaval. Here, Mauro (Michel Joelsas), a young Brazilian soccer fanatic eagerly anticipating a Pelé-led victory at the 1970 World Cup, is dropped off at his grandfather’s apartment building by his parents. They tell him they’re going on vacation, but they are really trying to escape persecution from the country’s mounting military dictatorship.

Mauro’s life without them is, again unsurprisingly, one of great change. When he arrives he discovers that his grandfather, who lives in São Paulo’s Jewish enclave, has died; Mauro’s relationship with the neighbour who takes him under his wing (and renames him Moishele, after his religion’s most-lauded foundling) forces him to confront his heritage. Mauro forges friendships with other ragtag kids in the building, develops crushes on pretty women, and yearns to return to the way things were (his parents drive a blue VW bug, and Mauro gets his hopes up every time he sees one drive by)....

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation is now playing at the Cumberland (159 Cumberland St.)."


Reed KD: 'Empty Bottles'
"NPR.org, March 27, 2008 - Reed KD is a perfectly orchestrated hybrid of Elliott Smith's soft, introspective voice and Simon & Garfunkel's narrative songwriting. Frontman Reed Dahlmeier's songs are mainly stripped-down, art-folk pieces with intricate guitar melodies and spare, rhythmic riffs. Recorded in closets, bedrooms and living rooms, Reed KD's latest album The Ashes Bloom, is minimalist with a hint of bluegrass, some pop textures and touches of electronic experimentation.

Dahlmeier is getting ready for his first national tour without The Armchair Aviators. "A friend and I put the whole thing together," he says. "We'll be packing five or six of us in my little VW van for 2-3 months." Besides touring, he is working on a new album that he hopes to release in August."

Lastly, check out Jon's Foreign Auto & Supply, Inc. site, particularly the Research & Development page for numerous interesting updates.



I know Number One Son's not going to like this, but his trip and VB's pictures reminded her of this song.
TOM COCHRANE - Life Is A Highway

Weekend News Round-Up

Weekend News Round-Up is back, and a bit smaller than usual right now. VB has links to two interesting articles about Cairo. The Internet here seems to be getting better - Inshallah. So, VB will try to get a couple of Funkengroovin posts together this week.

Below, a photo of an electrical pole, near VB's apartment, on fire, the other night. She was sure that she was going to lose electricity (the electrical box across the street was popping), but the authorities were able to put it out before any major damage was done. As usual, a policeman crept up behind VB to say, "no pictures." Yeah, we all know how dangerous it could be if photos of an electrical pole on fire got out to the public.

ARTICLES OF INTEREST:
36 Hours in Cairo
Cairo is third world and first world, Islamic world and pharaonic world, a teeming city that jars all the senses, all at once.

IN CAIRO, HORDES OF STREET KIDS, BUT NO LONGER IGNORED
The Egyptian government and nonprofit groups are stepping up efforts to help street children.

For all you Funkengroovin Deadheads (VB knows, she said she wouldn't combine Funkengroovin with politics, but this isn't Funkengroovin Wednesday - it's the Weekend Round-Up, that's different):

Dead to hold concert for Obama
Three surviving members of the Grateful Dead - Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir - will reunite at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Warfield in San Francisco for "Deadheads for Obama," a concert to support Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Tickets for $35 sold out almost immediately after the show was announced on Friday afternoon, but those who missed out can view a live simulcast at www.iclips.net.

Puppy Lotus, encounters the feral cats. More on the cat situation later.

Funkengroovin Wednesday Belated - Puppy Trip To PA

Photos for Would You Buy This Truck and today's blog are fixed - finally! Vagabondblogger posts photos from her desktop. She used to post them from her flickr account, but some countries block flickr. So uploading from her desktop allows everyone to view them. It lowers VB's flickr count, but she doesn't care. She doesn't know if this was part of the problem, but it's now "fixed," to quote the Goggle geeks.

Just about a month ago, The Boss Man and VB took a trip to Pennsylvania to pick up our new pup, Lotus. While there, in a small, small town, we spotted two VW Vans. One on the road, and one being worked on. Later, when we were leaving with the pup (Lotus), we saw both vans at the same house. Same owner? Who knows. We had a six hour drive back to CT, so we weren't exactly in the mood to stop and chit-chat. Besides, Lotus was crying.





How Many Days Till Christmas? VB's been remiss in her Christmas list. LIMBO has a general store offering sun catchers, mugs, clocks, caps, tees, and stickers. How could she do that, even when she had those sun catchers right under her nose while working on the shopping list? You can order from LIMBO anytime, you don't really need Christmas as an excuse now do you?

NEWS AND ARTICLES: Articles about parking lots. Don't you love them? Isn't that what we all live for - to drive around in circles looking for a parking space, that is, unless you own a VW Bus which is too high for most garage height requirements. And VB will bet that a lot of you have been doing just that - shopping for the holidays. You can't get VB near a mall this time of year. She lets her fingers do the driving, err walking. From Slate: Garage Mahals ARCHITECTS TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM OF PARKING. By Witold Rybczynski

"Equally dramatic, in a high-tech way, are the parking towers at Autostadt, Volkswagen's exhibition complex and automotive theme park in Wolfsburg, Germany."

Read more about it and ten others at the link above. There's also links to more garage themed articles.

Glory of Cars, Even Parking

"Contributing writers provide a handful of book recommendations, all related to automobiles but most of them of interest to the general reader."

Registration required (free).

It's time to vote for the Collectible Car of the Year!

"Over 500 of you submitted entries of some of the best automobiles we've ever seen: vintage Alfa Romeos, classic El Dorados, souped up Corvettes and Porsches ready for their close-ups. It wasn't easy, but our esteemed panel of judges whittled down the entries to thirty finalists. Now it's up to you to vote for the winner."

Check out, Buy a car - Chicago on Travel Pod. Starting on May 10th with his acquisition of an '85 Van, he is still going from Chicago to December in Peru, with plenty of photos.

From Jalopnik: Buy an $88,000 VW Beetle, Get the Gold for Free

Photo here, but not lighted (see below.) Family's car business can't stop 'buggin'

"ALEXANDRIA - Bill Goepper and his son Matt put a punch into their family business' light display with a decorated Volkswagen Beetle. The family's BMC Auto Rental at 7885 Alexandria Pike, Alexandria, has covered "bug" cars in lights during the holidays for six years."

High School Hijinks! ( Another photo)

"The administration at Haddonfield Memorial High School has to be pretty pissed—but isn't that the point of senior pranks? During Spirit Week, the class of 2008 bought a 1974 VW Beetle, painted it up, took it through the school's hallways, and deposited it in the courtyard. Then they removed the steering wheel and locked the doors. Nice work!"

More here too: Phil's Volkswagen Beetle: "The Bug"


nat king cole - the christmas song

Funkengroovin Wednesday- 21 Days Till Christmas

Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? Looking for that special gift, for that special person, like say, Vagabondblogger? Well, look no more. Here are a few places where you can find that perfect gift for your Funkengroovin love.

Below: Pink Bug ornament from Pier 1. VB found this at the store, but could not locate on the Pier 1 Internet site.



Perhaps you would like this "eclectic treasure," from goantigues.com." Place your bid anywhere from $2,750.00-$4,000.00 (replacement value $9,569.00.)



goantiques.com also has model cars, ads, and an assortment of miscellanea for the VW lover. VB personally likes the ad below, available for $7.00. It's different.




Or, also from goantigues, VB's favorite -  (Love that skirt!)



More ornaments, Christmas items, gifts and cards here;

TheSamba.com
Has Bug ornaments, VW Christmas cards, and an assortment of vintage gifts.

ebay has ornaments and accessories galore.

Automania Specialties.com has Christmas Cards for a variety of car models, including VW Bugs and one for a Bus.

From autoblog: eBay Find of the Day: VW Toaster Van


THE NEWS (covering what VB omitted last week.)

VW minibus an enduring classic with a feel for real surfer culture

In a 40-year-old split-screen VW minibus, anything over the 55mph limit is a terrifying mix of adrenalin, absent brakes and meandering steering. For six decades the VW minibus has been the machine of choice for California surfers, globe-trotting Australians, rock’n’roll stars such as The Who’s Pete Townshend, and TV chef Jamie Oliver. This year it celebrates its 60th birthday.

2009 Volkswagen Minivan - Auto Shows

A new Volkswagen minivan, to be unveiled for the first time in February at the 2008 Chicago auto show, will be VW’s second-largest-volume vehicle in the U.S., says Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen of America.

The VW minivan is based on the fifth generation of Chrysler minivans, the 2008 Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, which are on a platform known as RT. The deal between VW and the former DaimlerChrysler was reached two years ago, when VW had Chrysler alumni Wolfgang Bernhard in its executive suite. Since then, DC broke apart and Bernhard left VW, but work on the VW minivan continued.

Get the tissues out for Hidden wallet uncovers sad story:

Guys who love old cars love knowing the provenance of the vehicle as much as the specs. A clue to the van's back story was hidden under a back seat, revealed during prep work for reupholstering.

There, among dust, rust and candy wrappers, was a wallet. There wasn't much inside, no money, just some pictures of a girl, some military ID papers and a Nevada driver's license with a profile picture of a blue-eyed man too young to have the full-face photo. His name was Michael Reid.

From autoblog: Essen 2007: Phantoms inhabit VW

Artist William Burge has found a way to artfully reattach all of the little pieces that have fallen off his 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.

Tweety to Auction VW Bug to benefit JFC

Tweety Fine Jewelry, the brand which bills itself as a provider of "fine jewelry for hot chicks" and takes its identity from the Looney Tunes cartoon character, is auctioning off a one-of-a-kind VW Bug, appropriately bejeweled and with Tweety-yellow flare, to benefit Jewelers for Children. The custom built car with blue and white leather interior and sparkling details is valued at more than $60,000.

The Tweety VW Bug auction is being held online and can be accessed at www.TweetyFineJewelry.com. The auction closes on Feb. 15, 2008, at 12:01a.m.

Classic Cars: Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

By contrast, few VW fans ever considered the Karmann Ghia to be a sports car, but, as a tourer, it had few peers. The Ghia coachwork was some of the purest of the decade; it also offered comfort for two and the reliability of the Beetle. During its 18-year production run, nearly half a million buyers considered these to be more important attributes than out-and-out performance.

Volkswagen drivers wanted

Nothing highlighted the hippie nature of the occasion more brightly than a restored Kombi/Transporter Type 2 van, body-painted with the very livery of Fillmore, the environment-friendly character in Cars. There was a Country Buggy, or Sakbayan, in nearly mint condition. About three car lengths from it sat a Type 181 wagon, more popularly known worldwide as the Thing. Of course, there were the countless Beetles and a handful of Karmann Ghias and Brasilias. To say that Filipinos have a sentimental love affair with the Volkswagen brand is to point out the obvious.

Elderly Beetle puts Porsche to shame

DRIVING a 42-year-old Volkswagen Beetle, Bournemouth's Martin Greaves beat all on the drag strip at Santa Pod.

Alaska trio tries rugged Baja race

Alaskans Patric, Kolt and Kash Bell participated in the 40th running of the Tecate Score Baja 1,000 -- some 32 years after their father Pat Bell did the race in 1975, driving a stock Volkswagen Beetle.

The race from Ensenada, Mexico, to Cabo San Lucas crosses mountains, desert and beachfront. Some competitors drive stock VW Beetles, others race $2 million trucks.

Before a bum clutch forced the Alaskans to scratch, they traveled 147 miles.

The Baja 1,000 is expected be aired on NBC in late December. The Bells hope to race the Best In The Desert race series next year.

A tribute to the humble Volkswagen

Or if I was alone, I would just park it on a hill. Those were the days. But in the snow, until front-wheel drive came along, nothing could beat a VW. There is an old TV commercial I’ll never forget. It’s dark and snowing a blizzard. All you see are headlights moving through the pouring snow. After a bit a voice says, “Ever wonder how the guy who runs the snowplow gets to the snowplow?” Then the camera pulls back and shows a lone VW Beetle tooling along in the blizzard.

Volkswagon Type 2

Lately we have reviewed some of the worlds most expensive super cars, The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and the Lamborghini Reventon to be precise. This week we will have a look at something more affordable, the Volkswagen Type 2 which is generally referred to as the "Transporter". The phrase "Volks wagen" which is German for people carrier was the name given to the company who are the forerunners for today's people carriers.

It's been a little difficult for VB to concentrate on the blog while training the new pup, Lotus, and trying to Christmas shop, and all that other stuff that goes along with the holiday. So, here's one of The Boss Man's favorite songs. Quite appropriate, except VB doesn't really have anyone to talk to right now, except for Lotus, who isn't exactly always in listening mode (a major problem with these independent minded Springer Spaniels.)

Mose Allison - Your Mind's On Vacation

Note: There have been problems with Blogger's photos, so VB's last post is messed up. VB will try to reload the photos for easier viewing in a few days.

No News Sunday - Lotus Blossomed

Last weekend The Boss Man and Vagabondblogger took a trip to Pennsylvania to fetch a little bundle of puppy joy. Puppy was adorable, and helplessly pitiful. Not named yet, as we wanted to see what her personality was like (plus we have a preference for naming our Springers after British cars,) we just called her "puppy."

Then bigger half brother, Cooper, arrived for Thanksgiving, and her personality came out like a spitfire. We were told she was "naughty," but the breeders decided to keep "the naughtiest" girl for themselves. I hate to think of what they must be dealing with.

INTRODUCING...

Westfalia Lotus!


LOTUS = Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious!

Yeah, she's a mean ass little pup.

Check out why:

Below, Lotus on the field, with bigger half brother, Cooper, begging for a treat.

Trying to keep up with Cooper, chasing sling-shot tennis balls.
They're too big for her mouth now, but later....

Again, trying to keep up.

In action.

Cooper with the ball.

Lotus chewing on Cooper's leg.
Pretty much what we all watched as we ate Thanksgiving dinner.
It's better than T.V!

You know, they're going to miss each other when the holiday is over.

WOOF!

(Three weeks until the next the Doggie WWE comes to Vagabondblogger's house.
Another must see holiday!)

No News - Why For, You Say?

Here's why:

Apologies from Vagabondblogger for the lack of communication. She's been on the road driving for two whole days - Eleven hours on Friday, and around nine hours on Saturday.

Friday, Vagabondblogger drove to Boston to fetch The Boss Man at Boston Logan. Drove back home. Packed. Got on the road to get stuck in this:

Drove through Connecticut, New York, part of Pennsylvania, and made it within two hours of final destination. Next morning drove through highways like this:

Scenes like this:

To get to a place near here:

Just to pick up this:

Born on September 11, 2007 = nine weeks old.

Name to be announced later.

Not In My Backyard!

Just about a month ago, I posted a blog on what to do with leftover dog food. The answer was, "feed it to the cats." Well we've had a few developments at The Cathouse, since then:


Remember the new mom? Just having given birth, she decided to chow down on my porch, often carrying a mouthful of food to her kitties. Well, I spied them when they were little balls of fur, running around the yard of the duplex next door. The French guy, on the side nearest to my apartment building said his wife was away and instructed him "not to feed the cats." They had a cat that passed away earlier, and his wife told him she wanted one of the kittens. Okay, am I the only one wondering how you could possibly think you can take in a kitten, when you've decided to starve it, and the mom? Is this the real version of French Women Don't Get Fat. The Secret of Eating For Pleasure? Maybe they forgot about eating for survival.

(Mom and kittens.)



Late last month / early this month I called and e-mailed the three rescue operations here in Cairo about The Strange Cat, who we sometimes refer to as "The Golden Boy" and his girlfriend about sheltering them. The shelters were all full. I then called my vet and asked if he could pick them up to neuter them. Yes, I had a dog and still have a dog crate, but our crate is the largest known to man. There's no way I could transport the cats in that thing. He told me two days in a row he'd be by to get them and never showed up. I was pretty depressed for a few days, then I decided that there are just some things totally out of my control.

This past week the kittens have been coming over to eat, pretty much on their own. Momma is neglecting the children! Not only that, but today, she was up a tree, and every male in the hood was caterwauling in my backyard. The bitch is in heat, again!

Mr. Bad Ass Cat here, who's old and diseased was sitting under the tree, while the old grey skulker was on the platform, and mom had her ass propped centrally located in the crotch of the tree. From what I've read on the Internet, the big cat gets laid, so Mr. Bad Ass is wasting his time. Okay, she can go do her thing with the winner of the "I'm cock of the walk club" in somebody else's yard! Not in my backyard - take that shit somewhere else sweetheart.











The Strange Cat's girlfirend is now pregnant too - we think, which pisses me off since we could have avoided this, if she had been neutered when I made my calls.
She's also a nuisance. She loves scratching my cheap Target sisel carpets and knows every entrance and exit to and from our apartment. I don't know what she wants, but when I pet her she turns and nips at me. Did I not ever say before, I'm a dog person. My dogs loved being petted. I don't really care for erratic, feral behavior. It's freaky!



This is a neutered cat. I don't know which gender, but it was watching the events at the tree in total wonderment. It's a loner and comes to eat now. I like it and have been told, it's definitely a Mau. He/she looks just like The Golden Boy, same eyes, same markings, same size, just different coloring.

I just learned they clip the right ear here in Cairo to mark neutered cats. It's a bit different than the ear clipping they perform in the States.



The Golden Boy has been a juvie lately, staying out late until like 9:00 AM (he's usually back around 6:00 Am, but then again, they did change the time here.) Some days he does not show up for over 24 hours. Today he ran around caterwauling up all the wrong trees. He can smell it - he just hasn't figured out where it's coming from yet.

Makes for one very tired boy.

All's okay, though. Vagabondblogger Doggie passed away in mid - July (about two weeks after The Golden Boy moved in.) The week after she died The Boss Man started looking for a new pup. We contacted someone in Ohio about getting another field Springer, which is what Vagabondblogger Doggie was. We were told, the bitch would be coming into heat, "any day now." That was in late July. As of the beginning of September, she had still not come into heat (big problem - that means we couldn't pick the pup up until sometime in January.) That's when we contacted the breeder who provided us with Awesome Daughter's pup (seen below.) Last week the breeder, and her breeding buddy had two litters, (bench Springers.) This is our Doggie in Galveston, Texas spring 2006. Here's Awesome Daughter's bench Springer, below.


Even though we've decided to set aside one porch for the cats, Vagabondblogger suspects that many cats will just take a hike to the next feeding station (or garbage bin) after the arrival of the new pup. That's okay, because I love Springers - they are the best dogs and yea, Vagabondblogger likes to snuggle up with them too. Springers are practically human.

BTW, the search involving Madeleine McCann's DNA was conducted with English Springer Spaniels. Here's an article with pics.

Oh, and don't let me forget, an English Springer Spaniel won the Best of Show at Westminster Kennel Club this year. No we will not be "showing" our dog, but we will train it to sniff. Take it from Vagabondblogger, English Springer Spaniels have quite a nose.

I can't wait for my pup.

BTW, for those of you who turn their noses up at buying dogs from breeders, TFS!

More on the new pup later.

Did I forget to say, "I am so excited!"