UH-OH... it's THAT time of year again...

Mommy's making me sit still while she tries to put clothes on me or fit fabric around me... she's using pins, so I REALLY have to stay still!

Okay... it must be Halloween...oh yay... **trying to contain my excitement***

I'm actually quite ambivalent about this so-called holiday. I don't really mind wearing whatever costume Rita decides to put on me because she smiles and giggles at me when all I have to do is sit there and look at her while she snaps a picture... then I get a hug and a treat. Not a bad deal, eh?  BUT, getting 'fitted' for my outfits aren't as fun.  I usually have to try bits and pieces of the outfit on... over and over and over again, until it fits around my belly, on my head, around my ears, etc. I do get little treats after each 'fitting', so it's not THAT bad (I'm just acting like a diva, like most models do).

Here's some background...

This was the earliest costume I can remember. I was a wizard for my first Halloween outing. This was a store-bought costume, so there was no 'fitting' required. I wasn't a full-fledged diva-dog model ... yet.

Here I am, the following year, in the first costume that mommy made for me all by herself... it was my first experience as a true model. Nice, pouty look I have here, huh?  Anyway, mommy wanted to use her new sewing machine, so this outfit was her first sewing project.  (Yes... I was her guinea pig. Perhaps THAT should've been my costume.) Anyway, she made the costume and the guitar, but the hat was a souvenir from Mexico she got me and my best friend Bryson (who is also a corgi). And because Bryson and I are very best friends, she made a costume for him, too!

Here we are: THE TWO AMIGOS!!!  And guess what?? Our parents took us to the Annual Corgi Faire in Dixon, CA where they have fun games and a costume contest!  We had so much fun meeting other corgis and playing limbo.  And... we WON the "CUTEST COSTUME" prize!  We were so happy!

Okay, the next year, mommy decided to make me ANOTHER costume on her sewing machine...

Here I am... the 'California Surfer Dog'.  Yup... mommy made me my own 'dude' surfboard, too! 

And so... a 'diva dog model' is born...

So that is the background of this so-called holiday, called Halloween, for me!  Since that last costume, Rita has been sewing all kinds of things, but mainly for herself:  clothing, jackets, bags, hats, etc. She really enjoys it, and I like to take credit for launching her off on her sewing gig!  Yes.... if it weren't for me...

ANYWAY, back to Halloween....

This year is going to be a little different *thank goodness*.  Rita is not going to make my entire costume from scratch. It will be part store-bought (yay!) and part custom-made by Rita (which means I will become a diva-dog again).  AND.... my costume will match mommy and daddy's costume this year! I'm so excited about having a 'family' theme this year! That means I will not be the only one wearing a costume!  

So.... stay tuned for my Halloween costume for this year.... it will be a surprise! 

xo, 

Picasso (AKA 'Diva Dog Model')

hmmmm... they look good to ME!

Rita was so thrilled when a neighbor that we saw while on one of my walks stopped to ask if she and daddy like avocados. Mommy  LOVES avocados, so imagine her excitement when the man gave her a bag of the biggest, greenest avocados that mommy's EVER seen! (Daddy doesn't like avocados, if you can even imagine that!)

When she brought them home, Rita thought that maybe these aren't avocados ... they're just HUGE and lighter green in color than what she was used to seeing in California.  Then she thought that they might be mangos ... this would NOT be good, though, because Rita does NOT like mangos!  Anyway, this picture doesn't show how big the avocados/mangos are, so she put them next to me to illustrate the scale of these monsters.

There, now you can see how big these babies are!  She caught me trying to lick them, which is why I look so guilty.  C'mon... she put this big bowl of edible something in front of me ... I thought she was giving me a snack!  Anyway... they looked good to me!

That's all for now...
By the way.... they ARE indeed avocados... WHEW! She's going to make tubs of guacamole now ... none for me, though :(

I looooove weekends...

Hi everyone! First of all, here's my token "autumn/October" photo. I noticed from checking out several other corgi blogs that we (the corgi breed) look particularly good with pumpkin props.  Note to all fellow corgis:  pumpkins are a very complimentary accessory, so whenever all you fellow corgis see a pumkin, go stand next to it and it's almost guaranteed that your human will take a photo of you and it will be incredibly flattering!

Okay, now to my weekend adventure!  Rita & Brian took me to the farmer's market in downtown West Palm Beach!  It was so much fun ... so many people (which means lots of pets and kisses for me), so many dogs (which means butt-sniffing and playing), and best of all ... FOOD BOOTHS (major potential for snackage)!!! 

It was really easy to get there from home... we just walked along my usual walking route along the waterway.  We end at the downtown plaza area and then you see all the tents with the wonderful, delicious, beautiful FOOD!

Here are some tents with flowers and plants... these don't interest me so much.  Mommy kept pulling me away from them because she thought I might pee on them ... the thought DID cross my mind...

Here I am sitting and waiting... waiting... waiting... for the man at the cheese booth to PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ just toss me a piece of cheese!  Any type of cheese would be fine with me, really... I'm NOT fussy at all... please, Mr. Cheese Man, just toss me ANYTHING!  In fact, it doesn't even have to be cheese... it could be bread, cookie, meat of any kind, a crumb... ANYTHING!

While I was waiting for Mr. Cheese Man to toss something over to me, I noticed other dogs in my immediate vicinity trying to SNACK ON MY CHEESE!

Can you believe it?!?! They were all hanging out around Mr. Cheese Man, trying to win his attention! They all seem like nice enough doggies, but i can't help but think that ... I'm  WAY more desperate (and somehow more deserving) for that slice of cheese! 

This is my view of Mr. Cheese Man.  He looks so friendly, doesn't he?  And check out that huge wheel of cheese just waiting to be snacked upon!   ... I am very sad and disappointed to report that Mr. Cheese Man was too distracted by his customers to even notice me. I know, I know... I'm thinking that maybe he felt that if he gave a piece of cheese to me, he would also have to give it to all the other dogs who were staring him down.  Well... there's always next weekend :)  This will be my new mission for future farmer's market trips:  to get a slice of cheese from Mr. Cheese Man!

This table smelled amazing!!!! I couldn't see anything from where I was standing (this pic is from Rita's perspective), but I could smell all of these different spices!  I was thinking that perhaps mommy could use some of these spices in her preparation of my already-delicious meals.  Nope... that would not be the case.  Rita & Brian were commenting on how beautiful and fragrant the spices were, and they said that it would be so nice to eat some delicious meals with these spices. Mommy doesn't cook, so she snapped a photo and we moved on. 

I had a really fun time at the farmer's market this weekend!  I look forward to more outings there. Perhaps next time, I will score a snack from Mr. Cheese Man!

Our First Year in Florida...

Hi everyone!  My name is Picasso and I'm a corgi (I don't like to capitalize the 'c' because I think it looks cuter with a little 'c') and I'm five years old. This is a continuation of Rita's 'Laugh Along the Way' blog. (By the way, Rita is my mom and Brian is my dad). Anyway, Rita wrote a blog last year of our road trip across the country when we moved from California to Florida. I thought that since I'm older and understand all that goes on around me, I'd write a blog to keep you updated on my wonderful corgi life!  And since our one-year anniversary of moving to Florida is coming up this month, I figured that starting off my new blog with a re-cap of our first year here would be a nice place to start.  

This is a photo of me in my new home.  This is my usual look from Rita's perspective, as I flash a big smile, hoping for a treat and a hug. 

Here I am resting on my Christmas toy last year. It appears that I'm unhappy, but I was actually very exhausted after having gone on a really fun walk on the beach!  I was thinking how bizarre the that it was so warm and sunny on Christmas day (very different than what Snoopy experiences on Charlie Brown's Christmas special)... I know I'm just a dog, but I actually do think about things like the weather and holidays ... and how my life compares to Snoopy's.

This is a view of the waterfront from my balcony.  This photo was taken during the annual Palm Beach Boat Show, which is why all those boats are out there.  Rita + Brian had a fun time at the Boat Show, even though they couldn't bring me with them.  I'm thinking that they would've had fun bringing me on board all of those neat boats!

Here's a family photo of Brian, Rita and me on my first Easter in Florida. The Easter bunny visited all of us dogs at City Paws Dog Park here in West Palm Beach!  He's kinda scary to me, but I had so much fun with all my friends, and the Easter bunny brought us all kinds of dog treats, which were inside of plastic easter eggs!

We were so excited that we could see the beautiful fireworks from our balcony!  These fireworks were set off on the final night of Sunfest, the annual 5-day music festival that takes place on the waterfront every spring.  Anyway, mommy said that she's very proud of me that I'm not afraid of the fireworks... it's because I know that the loud 'booms' aren't going to hurt me. Also, I get lots of hugs and a cookie for being a good boy!

In May, I had a little issue with my back left paw... apparently, there was a little pimple-thingy between my toes that I licked it too much and caused a little infection.  I just couldn't help it, though... I thought that licking it would make it feel better.  Anyway, the doctor said that I needed medication on my paw and that I had to wear the CONE OF SHAME so that I wouldn't lick my big fat paw and make things worse!  Ugh... what about my dignity?!?!  Well, thank goodness mommy + daddy understand that I have my corgi pride ... they went to two pet stores before finding this inflatable collar for me instead of the CONE OF SHAME.  It's much, much nicer (and more dignified)... smaller profile and it comes in this sporty, blue color! As you can see from the photos, I was very pleased with the fit AND I could lie down on my side, too!

Here I am with my sock-bootie thing that Rita got for me to cover up my big fat paw during my dog park trips.  I love the reflector strap, too! It's so that people can see my paw at night! I also love that my bootie matches my collar!  Even though I'm "injured", I'm still quite the stylin' corgi, don't you think?

Here I am at the dog park... I just LOVE going there to see my friends!  They call me 'the sheriff' because I'm the boss... I hang out in the BIG DOG PARK and keep things in order.  I make sure everyone is playing nicely and when they all run in a big pack, I herd ALL of them.  And when a particular dog is bullying another dog, I herd it into the bushes or under a picnic table. I'm very proud of my job as 'the sheriff', and I take my role very seriously!

This is a photo of my friend Phantom and me.  He's a white shepherd ... and part wolf, according to his owner (right, whatever... we all just nod). Rita thinks he's beautiful and really sweet {whatever, I'm NOT jealous}.  Anyway, Phantom and I have an understanding... I'm the boss.  When he forgets, I chase him under the table... then he remembers who the 'sheriff' is. Some of my other friends (that I don't have photos of yet) are Domino (who is a little immature, but he's in training), Aria (who is very, very well behaved but currently having some health issues), and Porter (who likes to taunt me so that I'll chase him...he's young and very energetic, so I try to keep up with him). There's also Angus, who loves his tennis ball to the point of obsession.  I chase him when he chases his ball ... I figured that it'll push him to run faster and become a better ball chaser.  

This is Lebowski... he's not so nice sometimes.  In this picture he looks like he's suspended in mid-air, but he was being held up by the back of his neck because he was a BAD dog ... he went after another dog aggressively, so Brian had to grab him to protect the other dog. Rita calls Lebowski  the 'franken-dog' because he has a mechanical hip.  Perhaps that's why he's naughty sometimes... 

Everyone was laughing at me here because when I was watching Phantom digging a hole at the dog park (BAD, BAD dog!), all the dirt was landing on my face.  I didn't even notice, because I was just waiting for him to get yelled at for digging a hole.  Anyway, not only did he NOT get in trouble for digging the hole, I got LAUGHED AT because I had dirt all over my face!  ...whatever... I'm still the BOSS, and bosses have bad days too, right?

Here's a photo of Rita and Brian at the Fort Pierce Inlet.  They took a ride up the coast to visit some cousins.  I couldn't go with them because the place where they went to have lunch didn't allow dogs. That's okay... I spent my afternoon playing with my friends. Rita & Brian had a good time, but they missed me very much!

Usually, they take me EVERYWHERE they possibly can.  It's because I'm very well-behaved.  I know that I'm not supposed to bark indoors or at people (unless they're being mean to me, mommy or daddy), and I'm supposed to smile and let humans pet me.  We love that West Palm Beach is a dog-friendly city with lots of places that welcome dogs, and there are also poopy bag dispensers everywhere!  There are so many outdoor seating areas at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops ... this is particularly nice for me because I can stare down other customers (as well as mommy + daddy) with my big brown eyes and button nose ... they always cave in and give me some of their food!

Rita + Brian took me to Bed & Bath with them to pick up some things, but the manager said that they can only take me inside if they put me in the shopping cart ... can you believe that?!?! Hello...we're talking MAJOR blow to my corgi pride!  Well, I decided to comply because it was better than hanging out in the car. Also, i have to admit that it was kinda fun being pushed around in the cart while I had a good view of all the other customers that thought I was so cute! So now I join them whenever they go to Bed & Bath ... and I also  get to go inside Office Depot, the pet store, the sporting goods store and the music store!  ...we haven't tried Target yet...

I just LOVE living near the waterfront.  Rita + Brian mention how much they love it, too! They take me for a walk along the waterfront walkway everyday (except when it's raining). Here I am, as happy as could be ... Rita put me up on the wall and it was so fun being TALL!

Mommy + daddy have to travel for work ... which is hard for them because they miss me so much.  One of the places they travelled to this summer was Philadelphia, where they decided to check out the famous Liberty Bell.  Well, apparently, the bell was way smaller than they expected it to be.  Here it is, with the famous crack ... Big WHOOP!

When they were in Las Vegas for a conference, they went to an ABBA tribute band concert.  Rita loves ABBA... they had a really good time. They said it was even better than the Mama Mia show that they've seen about 3 times!

Rita + Brian are really enjoying the music scene in West Palm Beach.  This is a photo from the Pink Floyd tribute concert they went to.  Yes, that is a huge inflated pink pig floating in the air!  They had a great time ... Brian loves Pink Floyd!

A more recent trip that Rita + Brian took was to celebrate dad's birthday. Here they are enjoying some drinks in Puerto Rico. Even though they're smiling, they are missing me so much and wishing I was with them.  {They seem to hide their despair very well, huh?}

I should probably mention that I spend my days with mommy + daddy at the office, helping them get through their days with my big smile and corgi cuteness... I feel it's my duty as their loyal dog to keep them happy and entertained.  The photo above is me on my balcony at the office.  I have a perfect view of the cats across the street  (who are all very intimidated by my corgi machismo) and I also have a good view of the guys that work in the receiving office downstairs who occasionally toss a treat up to me {one of the perks of being so lovable}! By the way, I stick my foot out like that because it always makes mommy giggle, and I like it when she giggles at my cuteness.

That's my re-cap of the past year...

So... as you can see, I've been enjoying my life here in Florida.  It's been almost a year (boy, time really flies) and there's still so much to see and so many dogs and humans to meet.  All in all... LIFE IS GOOD!

Thank you for visiting my blog ... stay tuned for more!