We were getting ready to go to the cemetry first thing Friday morning to scatter the ashes under the designated tree when a horse pulled up outside the house, its owner dismounted and we recognised her as Claire who works at the local kennels from which we adopted Frodo years back (they provide overspill for a rescue charity).

I didn’t blog about it at the time because, well, it was a horrible time so to cut a long story short, last summer we had a visit from a BT engineer, a lovely chap and a dog lover. He and Frodo got on well as we chatted over tea for over 30 minutes, head in lap, ears being stroked, perfect.

Then we moved to the hall and discussed the ongoing internet/phone problem, the engineer stood making a call on his mobile to test the line when suddenly Frodo charged from the other end of the room, pushed past Martyn and I and attacked the engineer, biting him twice on the thigh and stomach. The poor man. He was understandably angry and muttered something about making a full report. After much soul searching we ‘phoned the rescue group, explained the situation and they agreed to rehome him. Yes of course we wanted to keep him but with the two granddaugters, then aged 3 and 7, it was just impossible. The fear that he might suddenly turn on them was too much to bear. And then cried for a week.

But Claire came with wonderful news – Frodo has joined the army, is doing really well and is one happy dog. And I’m one happy human.

I should be catching up on the cleaning and a huuuuge pile of ironing (and I am, honest, guv) but the allure of the internet beckoned so a quick set of photography sites that have caught my eye this last few weeks.

• Martin Waugh‘s beautiful Liquid Sculpture, high speed photos of liquid in motion.
• A delightful picture of a fox leaping.
• Guido Fulgenzi Photographer’s stunning photography.
• Friendship.
• A lovely picture of a dog by Pete Gosselin.
• Accidental Mysteries is John and Teenuh Foster’s collection of “accidental moments on film”. Fascinating stuff.
• Cute as cute can be – Simone the boxer pup.
• And not to forget our feline friends, here’s a lovely set of Russian cat photos.

Meanwhile…

• Footage of an incredible high speed police chase of a cyclist (yes, a cyclist). Must find out more about this story later in the weekend (if you know, do let us know!).
• A stupid, arrogant police officer in Dayton, Ohio (YouTube).
• Not sure if it’s true but this Craigs listing packs a punch.
• Page not found, a great 404 design by the University of Kentucky College of Medicine website.

Must dash, the kitchen floor needs a-mopping…

I meant to post this hours ago but the delay is all her fault: one mention of Prince Edward Island and I’m off to find a copy of Anne of Green Gables. Hours later and I’ve just left Anne with an e reconciled with Gilbert Blythe, looking forward to teaching at Avonlea and sharing a house with Marilla. Wonderful stuff.

And so on to the canine connections.

Inspiration to all would-be dog trainers out there – Simon Says.

Can’t train your dog as well as that? Let’s have a look at Games to play with your dog or some dog training video tutorials.

Looking for a dog to teach new tricks to? I’ve just discovered (and promptly fallen in love with) the Xoloitzcuintli (also known as the Mexican hairless and Mexican coated dog).

Or how about another one of those faces only a mother could love. Unlike this gorgeous wee fellow, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.

You’ll need a comfortable bed for your new companion…

…and if you feed him too many charcoal biscuits he might have a bad case of botty burping. Fear not, help is at hand!

The Dogone Thong – Dog Gas Neutralizing Pad is a comfortable and least intrusive means for deodorizing gassy discharges in a thong design. This will eliminate pet odors and dog odors from flatus or flatulence.

Moving on to the history of dogs, Dateline: Kennel is a lovely compilation of newspaper photos of dogs from the fifties and sixties.

And finally

One non doggie link for the heathens amongst us, the guilty pleasure that is I will survive, the Jesus version.

And one for the idiots.

Night, night.

Feng Jiang is a PhD student at the University of York (and is a fire marshall!) and takes the most stunning photographs of China.

Is anyone else itching to knock up some code and get those beautiful pictures in a gallery to showcase them better?

Those of us who can only dream of taking such pictures could take a look at this PhotoShop tutorial, The Elegant Studio Shot, one of many pages from Tommy Maloney’s photoshopLab I’ll be investigating this weekend.

This week Alex invited me to join the Flickr group Name That Film. I’m on my second entry so far, feel free to join in and have a guess. Long time readers should find it easy. No, really. Blindingly obvious, I’d say (but then I’m useless at identifying films from stills so I’ll hush my mouth).

Talking of Flickr groups, there are some lovely pictures in Dogs with an attitude and Dog expressions (current favourite is Mommmmm, make him stop staring at me…).

Talking of dogs, anyone want to learn to play the piano? Let the Piano Pooch show you the way.

Oh and what not to name your dog (while you’re there check out the rest of Infrequently asked questions).

Right, I’m off to make some salad for supper. Mmm….

Just as well it’s not then. The feeble excuse is that a lot’s been happening, concentrating on anything is difficult but I’m in dire need of a break so here goes, a trolley load of links to celebrate the fact that it’s almost the weekend. Let’s start with the animal related ones.

First up is an article from the BBC:

Unique-looking dog seeks new home

Forget the old joke which starts ‘my dog has got no nose…’ – Duo the Staffordshire bull terrier has two.

Staff at Newcastle Dog and Cat Shelter are having problems finding a home for the three-year-old because of his unique appearance caused by a harelip.

If you’re looking to adopt this gorgeous chap and lucky enough to live in the Newcastle area, the Newcastle Dog and Cat Shelter phone number is here at the Dogs Trust website.

Guaranteed to get the most hard hearted of you sobbing into your teacup, 50 animals in casts.

And then chortling at 50 animals driving.

Oh and how about this mini clip, Big Dog, Little Dog?

How about a good news story? A charity shop in Morriston, Swansea were surprised when a customer returned two china figurines she’d bought earlier. Why? Because they’re worth at least 10 times the £2.50 she paid for them.

And finally…

Long Awkward Poses is subtitled capturing magic moments. Hmm.

It’s simple, really. People look foolish when posing for a picture. So tell your loved ones you would like to take their photo… then secretly videotape them the whole time.

(Note: swearing in all clips. I think I would be too.)

I have much to learn about embedding video methinks. To stop the video playing every time you (re)load the front page, I’ve put it in an extended post. Just click on the “Continue reading Lassie come home” link to see our favourite collie as you’ve never seen him before!
(more…)

From the Sacramento section of Craigslist:

I received a mass of e-mail thanking me for this bit of truthful humor. Thank you, and I’m glad you enjoyed it! Most people requested that I repost it. So here it is, with A LOT more content.

I rescue, and foster, and have placed several adoption ads through Craigslist throughout the years. My inbox is flooded with messages all the time.

• To the people who message me with no information about themselves, or their experience with animals. You are only interested in how to get to my house, how big the animal is, and whether or not it’s free. You are not adopting my pet.
• To the people who aren’t going to be home, but ask me if I can drop the animal off at your neighbor’s house. You are not adopting my pet.
• To the 14 year olds who want the cute cuddly kittens, or bunnies. Does your mother know you’re scanning the adoption forum? Do you have a job to care for these animals? You are not adopting my pet.
• To the people who inquire about the iguanas but who openly admit that they have no knowledge of how big they actually get. You are not adopting my pet.
• To the people from Connecticut, Mass, etc, who message me and ask how far I am willing to drive… Well, I’m not. You are not adopting my pet.
• To the people who ask if I know any numbers of breeders and if I could get them a nice discount. Hello? You are not adopting my pet.
• To the people who ask if they can adopt puppies and kittens in pairs, so they can breed them when they get older… You are not adopting my pet(s).
• Once in a while I recieve a purebred cat, or very desirable breed of dog, or expensive species of snake that needs to be put up for adoption. These obviously get the MOST replies. Most replies consist of “I want it, e-mail me with pics.” Um, no. But thanks for playing. You… are not adopting my pet.
• Some e-mails contain “I’m interested in the animal for adoption. Please call me back today after 9, or tomorrow between 10 and 11, or again after 3.” No, I’m not taking these orders from someone I don’t know. If you REALLY want to adopt the said animal, then YOU will contact me when it’s convenient for ME. Otherwise… You, are not adopting my pet.
• Alot of the e-mails consist of “Hello, we’re 3 college girls sharing an apartment, and we want to adopt your kitty! We can offer lots of love!” That’s very sweet of you girls, really, but what will you do when you graduate college and move on with your life? Where will the kitty end up? You are not adopting my pet.
• And of course, only a few e-mails consist of, “Hello, we are a loving family of four living in a nice house with a fenced in yard. We have lots of experience with animals, and are looking for one more to add to our family.” YES. YOU are adopting my pet.
• Often times people surrender their animals to me because the animals are sick or injured, and the people don’t have the time or the desire to care for them. Once I make sure the animals are doing well, I will put them up for adoption. The SAME people who GAVE me their animal want to adopt them back. Are you kidding? No. Just, no. YOU are not adopting my pet.
• To the people who tell me that I’m selfish for charging a small adoption fee… SELFISH? If I were truly selfish, I would not be doing this in the first place, now would I? You are not adopting my pet.
• To the people interested in small animals and reptiles. When I ask you which veterinarian you plan on using, and you tell me that only dogs and cats need a vet… WAKE UP. Exotics get sick TOO. You are not adopting my pet.
• To the people who want to adopt an animal for a birthday or a Christmas present… That’s sweet of you. While your intentions are good, absolutely NOT. When the recipient of this animal decides that they don’t want it, what will you do then? You are not adopting my pet.

I’m sure there will be more…

I was going to post some photos from this weekend but
(a) my camera is on its last legs and the pictures aren’t that good;
(b) most of them included the granddaughters and I don’t want to post their pictures here and
(c) I’ve been out of action with a bad back since Sunday (starting to get better now)

…so finally here are three pictures from the local fair we went to on Sunday. It was held at an infant school near Shepperton Studios and not only did we have bouncy castles, tombolas and a fire engine for the children to climb all over (and hunky firemen to ogle), we had a mini dog show, agility tests and.. fancy dress!

So primarily for Mary and family (but I hope you’ll like him too), here’s my favourite pooch: Henry side view and Henry full frontal.

I just came across an odd [via Meri Williams] and distressing story about dogs throwing themslves off a bridge near Overtoun House in Dumbarton [it’s also being discussed at the Museum of Hoaxes].

The house has a strange history, even some of the town residents find it “scary”. I don’t know. The suicide tag is ludicrous, the most likely explanation is that something is distracting the dogs and the 40ft drop is not apparent before they jump. But I feel awfully sorry for the owners if the story is true and whatever the cause.

Oh I know, those infuriating internet tests but this is different, honest.

Go try the Canine Algorithmic Transfer System™ (click on “game” on the left, speakers cranked up) and tell me it’s not great fun:

There’s a dog inside all of us, waiting to be let out. This game is based on a computer called SUKA built in 1975 by Russian scientist Mikhail Volkonsky and now housed in the London Science Museum.

SUKA is powered by CATS (Canine Algorithmic Transfer System™) which is able to determine what kind of dog you are. Simply answer 10 questions, being as honest and accurate as possible and CATS will calculate which breed you resemble the most.

It’s all part of the website for the film Gone to the dogs and Karan – you will love my diagnosis!

[Brazenly stolen from Pam]

Currently listing to: Jason Bradbury’s Tsunami ‘Gadget’ Song. Will Engelbert ever forgive my fickle heart?